


Galaxy Unknown

by Lady_Sci_Fi



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Crossover, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2018-12-11 19:51:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11721378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Sci_Fi/pseuds/Lady_Sci_Fi
Summary: An accident with the Master's equipment leads to the Doctor, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Captain Yates, and Sergeant Benton being transported to a galaxy of an all-powerful empire, rebellion, and warriors of a destroyed order.





	1. Chapter 1

 “Ah, there you are, Sergeant,” Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart said as he and Captain Mike Yates walked into the Doctor’s laboratory.

 “Did you need me, sir?” asked Sergeant John Benton as he rearranged some of the things on a shelf. “The Doctor asked me to help organize his lab.”

 “Did he now? About time he cleaned up this place,” the Brigadier replied with a half-smile.

 “Be glad this isn’t your office,” the Doctor responded as he walked into the room, a plate with two sandwiches in hand.

 “I am grateful for that every day, Doctor.”

 The Doctor smiled in response as he handed Benton one of the sandwiches.

 “What brought this on?” Mike asked.

 “Nothing special. It’s a bit overdue.”

 “And you needed to use Benton as manual labor?”

 “I’m only borrowing him, I promise,” the Doctor replied with a grin.

 Benton finished his sandwich and moved some papers off of a black box. A black box with three handles on its sides. “Hey, it’s the Master’s dematerialization device.”

 “I’ve been occasionally tweaking that,” the Doctor explained. “It won’t take anyone to that alternate Earth.”

 “Good,” Mike commented. “We don’t want a repeat visit of that particular place.”

 “Where do you want it, Doctor?”

 “Oh… on that middle shelf next to the TARDIS.”

 Benton picked up the box, but he only got halfway across the room before his body suddenly refused to take another step.

 “Sergeant?” asked three concerned voices.  

 “I can’t move. I-“ The box started to hum loudly.

 “Drop it!” the Doctor commanded.

 Benton’s hands would not let go. He felt as though he would strain the muscles from the effort. “I can’t.”

 The Doctor sprang forward and grabbed one of the handles, intending to pull it from Benton’s hands. He only succeeded in having his own hands and body follow suit in whatever force was freezing Benton’s. The humming sound grew louder. “It’s activated itself.”

 Mike grabbed Benton from behind to try to pull him away. The Brigadier did the same to the Doctor.

 Suddenly, the Doctor’s lab disappeared, and they were spinning in a vortex, colours and shapes whizzing past. None of them could speak. It took all their energy to hold onto the box and each other.

 Benton’s hands slipped, and he dug his fingertips into the smooth surface. He didn’t have a secure grasp on a handle. Both hands had been holding the sides of the box.

 The sergeant’s fingers slipped a tiny bit again. He and Mike looked at the Doctor and the Brigadier, fear showing on their faces. Then Benton’s grip couldn’t hold on any longer, and both were torn away from the box.

 The Doctor and Alistair were left spinning in this vortex for a little longer. Then there was a painful impact, and blackness.

 *******

 Benton slowly opened his eyes, and saw tall blades of light purple grass. He shivered from the cold. He felt the arms wrapped around his chest tighten as the person holding onto him from behind stirred.

 “Mike? Are you alright?” Benton sat up and turned.

 Mike groaned and turned over onto his back. “Think so. I don’t think anything is broken, at least. You?”

 “Same. That was a hell of a ride.”

 Mike sat up and looked around. He saw the purple grass covered in a thin layer of frost, and three blue-coloured moons in the clear night sky. “We’re not on Earth anymore.”

 “And we were separated from the Doctor and the Brig. We were thrown off the box. I don’t see them anywhere nearby.” Benton called out for them for good measure. No response. “I’m sorry I couldn’t hold on.”

 “This is not at all your fault, John.” Mike wrapped his arms around himself and rubbed his sides in a futile attempt to warm up. Benton placed his hands on Mike’s biceps to help. The captain remarked, “Damn, it’s cold.”

 “No arguments there.”

 Mike quickly kissed Benton’s lips before they stood up and got a better view of their surroundings. “Right, we can’t stay here and freeze to death. We just have to pick a direction and start walking.”

 “Let’s hope we find civilization soon.” In another attempt to keep warm, Benton put an arm around Mike’s waist as they walked side-by-side.

 ********

 The Brigadier awakened to find the side of his face buried in white hair. His addled brain didn’t make the connection until he felt the velvet fabric under his fingers. “Doctor?” He raised his head and found that he was lying on top of the other man, who was face-down in the dirt. One of the Doctor’s arms was out to his side, the hand clutching at the handle of the demat box.

 Alistair quickly got off the Doctor and rolled him over onto his back. He looked at the dirt-streaked face, and saw no signs of obvious injury. “Doctor, wake up,” he said urgently. When the Doctor didn’t respond to his voice, he started tapping his fingers against the unconscious man’s face. “Come on, Doctor. Wake up.”

 “That’s quite annoying,” the Doctor muttered.

 Alistair let out a small sigh of relief. He helped the Doctor sit up, and both men looked around. “We’re not on Earth, anymore, are we.”

 The Doctor had seen the same things. The green-coloured sky that was visible through the red trees of the forest. It was daytime, if the sun shining through the leaves was an accurate indication.

 “Doctor, I don’t see Yates or Benton.”

 “They were thrown off while we were still travelling. They could be anywhere, perhaps not even on this planet.”

 “Could they be in a different time?”

 “No. I didn’t add that function to this,” the Doctor answered, picking up the demat box. He studied it for a minute. “It’s broken. And it’s not something the sonic screwdriver will be able to fix on its own.”

 “So, we’re stuck here until we get some supplies for you to fix it. And until we find Yates and Benton.”

 “Precisely.”

 “Which way?”

 The Doctor stroked his cheek with the back of his thumb. “We’ll try this way.”

 

 Their hike through the forest didn’t last long before they came to a large field. Alistair yanked the Doctor behind a thick tree trunk when he saw the men in all-white armour uniforms. He waited a moment before peering around the tree.

 “Definitely military,” Alistair stated as he watched the armoured men practicing drills. He noticed one man dressed in a black officer’s uniform overseeing the training. He looked human. But Alistair had encountered enough human-looking aliens to not trust this one immediately.

 The Doctor peeked around the other side of the tree. “Should we risk asking them for help?”

 “You mean you’re not just going to stride down there and charm them into helping us?”

 “I don’t know the rules of this planet.”

 The Doctor and Alistair hid fully behind the tree again. “You mean you don’t know if they’ll be as easily charmed by you as others,” he teased with a grin.

 “That’s enough of that, Brigadier. Let’s go around them.”

 The two men were as silent as they could be as they backed up and started going around the clearing. What they hadn’t counted on were those white-armoured troops doing exercises in the forest.

 “Intruders!” came a shout.

 The Doctor and Alistair looked behind them. Two soldiers were staring at them, their faces completely hidden by their helmets.

 “Hello, my friend and I are lost,” said the Doctor. “If you would kindly point us to the nearest-“

 More soldiers arrived on the spot. Some raised their guns.

 “Perhaps another time, then.” He turned and grabbed Alistair’s wrist with his free hand. The Brigadier didn’t need to be told to run.

 They ran, dodging red shots of no doubt deadly energy. Tree trunks splintered and sparked around them. They could hear the heavy footsteps of the soldiers giving chase.

 The Doctor and Alistair were taken by surprise when the ground slipped out from under them. They slid down a steep hill of wet grass and mud. At the bottom, they instantly were back up to their feet and running for their lives.

 They skid to a stop when they saw another part of the soldier group some distance in front of them. The Doctor saw two of them raise their guns. “Duck!” He dropped to the ground.

 Alistair was a second too slow. The Doctor could only watch in horror as two energy bolts struck his friend and sent him flying backwards into a tree. He fell to the ground, body slack.

 “Alistair!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Master's dematerialisation box was created and used in the novel "Face of the Enemy."


	2. Chapter 2

 The Doctor dropped the demat box and scurried over to Alistair’s vulnerable form. He gathered the violently shivering and moaning man into his arms and looked him over. Darkened and bleeding flesh showed through two charred holes in his uniform in the shoulder and abdomen. The skin of Alistair’s face was pale, and his eyes were wide from pain. His breathing was shallow and frantic.

 “I’ve got you, old chap.” The Doctor managed to relax Alistair just enough to slow his breathing to a better pace, though it was still heavy.

 By now, the whole platoon of soldiers and the officer had caught up. “Hold your fire,” the officer ordered. He looked down to the Doctor and the Brigadier. “You, stand up.”

 The Doctor stayed on his knees at Alistair’s side, pressing one hand against the bleeding wound on his abdomen. “My friend needs treatment. Let me help him.”

 “You will join him in needing treatment if you don’t get up.”

 “I won’t leave you,” the Doctor whispered to Alistair before he got to his feet. He felt Alistair’s hand weakly curl around his ankle for security. “Help me with him, please.”

 “Who are you?” the officer demanded.

 “I am the Doctor, and my friend is…” He didn’t want to give a rank. To confirm that they were part of what would be seen as a rival military organization would not help their case. “Alistair. Who are you?”

 “I will ask the questions here,” the officer asserted his authority. “You are trespassing on military grounds. Why are you here?”

 A high-pitched whine of pain escaped from Alistair’s mouth. The pain and shock must’ve been immense, to leave the man in this state, a far cry from his usual tough demeanor. The Doctor immediately crouched down to tend to him.

 “I said to get up!” The officer punctuated the command by drawing his gun and aiming it at the two men.

 The Doctor didn’t stand again, too occupied with doing his best to comfort the Brigadier, but he did speak. “We’re travelers, who got lost. We didn’t know-“

 The officer became annoyed with the Doctor’s disobedience. He seized his arm and hauled him up to his feet. The Doctor nearly swatted him away, but was advised not to by the readiness of the soldiers to shoot at any threat.

 “Simple travelers? Then what is that?” the officer gestured with his head to the demat box. “And what organization does his uniform belong to?”

 “That device is not a weapon, I promise. Besides, it’s broken and can’t cause any threat to you. And he’s not a threat to you, either. Not right now.”

 “We’ll bring that device with us to study. What about you, Doctor? How much of a threat are you?”

“Help me get him medical attention, and I will answer whatever questions you have.”

 “He will live for a while yet. What organization is he from? What is this…” The officer read the emblem on Alistair’s uniform. “This UNIT? It isn’t local. Where are you-“ He was interrupted by a ship flying over the trees above. Then yelps came from a few of his men.

 Three of the soldiers were picked up and slammed into trees by an invisible force. A hooded figure dropped down from the sky and landed cat-like at the edge of the group of soldiers. A sword of blue light appeared in her hand.

 “Jedi!” the officer hissed. “Kill her!” he ordered.

 The armored soldiers fired on the unknown person. Their shots were deflected by the blade between it cutting them down.

 The Doctor took the opportunity to drag Alistair from the middle of the battlefield. A couple stray red gun bolts exploded into the tree bark above the Doctor’s head. He dropped and covered Alistair’s body with his own to protect him from being hit again.

 The Doctor couldn’t see much from this position. He could only hear Alistair’s pained moans and heavy breathing in one ear, and the sounds of battle going on around them. And it sounded like the soldiers were losing against the one hooded person.

 The Doctor grunted when two soldiers lifelessly fell on top of them. “D-doc…” he heard Alistair try to speak, doubtlessly going to try to tell him to leave him behind and get himself to safety.

 “Relax, Brigadier. Save your strength,” he responded. “I’m here, and I am not going to leave you.”

 After another minute, the sounds of the battle completely died. The Doctor heard soft footsteps come closer. The weight of the two dead soldiers was lifted from his back.

 “Are you alright?” came the soft voice from the mysterious figure.

 The Doctor rose to his knees. “I am, but my friend is not.”

 The person push back her hood to reveal the face of a young woman with olive-green skin and a diamond tattoo pattern across her cheeks and bridge of her nose. Shoulder-length black hair framed her face.

 She joined the Doctor at Alistair’s side. “Two direct shots…” she muttered.

 “Is there anything you can do for him?”

 “I am trained as a healer. I will do my best.”

 The Doctor glanced around at the dead soldiers. “And trained as a warrior,” he added quietly.

 The woman’s hand hovered over the wound on the Brigadier’s stomach. She explained, “I’m stabilizing him. Hopefully it’ll give him more time. Who are you?”

 “I’m the Doctor. And he’s Alistair.”

 “Were they taking you prisoner?”

 “It looked like it was going that way. Thank you for your timely rescue.”

 “This wasn’t planned to be a rescue. But you are welcome.” She looked up for a short moment and smiled. “I’m Barriss.” She turned her attention back to the injured man. “Right, if we can get him to-“ A communication device buzzed on the young woman’s belt. “Ahsoka to Barriss. Do you need help?”

 Barriss unclipped the device and spoke into it. “All clear here, Ahsoka.”

 “You were leaving me worried,” replied the feminine voice.

 “Is there any place nearby you can land? I have two former Imperial prisoners. One is badly injured.”

 “There’s a clearing nearby,” the Doctor suggested. “That’s where we first encountered the soldiers.”

 “Ah… yes. Landing there now. Ahsoka out.”

 Barriss clipped the comlink back onto her belt. “You remember the way to the clearing?”

 “Yes.” The Doctor lifted Alistair into his arms, gently shushing him at the moans of pain as he was moved. “I’m sorry. I’ll try not to jostle you too much.” He nodded his thanks as Barriss helped him to position Alistair more comfortably, and tucked the injured man’s hanging arm between his side and the Doctor’s chest. The Doctor remembered the demat box. “Oh, could you get that black box? It’s quite important to us.”

 Barriss glanced around until she saw the black handled box in the dirt. “What does it do?” she asked as she picked it up.

 “It’s… how we got here. It’s broken, though.”

 Barriss looked at the box in her hand, puzzled as to how this could’ve taken them anywhere. She heard Alistair’s breathing quicken. “We have to go. He’s going into shock.”

 They hurried to the clearing. In the middle of it sat a simple spaceship. It wasn’t very large, and a dull-grey color, though sleek in its design.

 The loading ramp lowered, and out stepped a young woman. She had orange skin with white face and body markings. Short blue-and-white patterned horns and headtails adorned her head.   

 “I’ve been monitoring the communications from the military outpost. They know something’s up,” she said.

 “Alright, Ahsoka. Take off as soon as we can. I’ll get these two settled.”

 The Doctor followed Ahsoka and Barriss inside the ship, and Barriss led him to the medical bay. He set Alistair down on one of the beds, which had a diagnostics screen at against the wall that activated.

 The Doctor felt the ship lift off the ground and zoom up into space. He was glad to get away from that forest. Alistair’s good arm started thrashing and he moaned loudly from pain. His eyes were closed, but he was definitely conscious enough to feel the damage done to him. The Doctor gently grabbed his moving hand.

 “Can you calm him? It’ll be hard for me to do that and heal him.”

 The Doctor nodded and leaned over his friend. He held Alistair’s hand between both of his. “Brigadier… Alistair, relax. I’m here.”

 Alistair’s eyes opened, not hiding any of the pain he was in. “D-Doc…”

 “Hush,” the Doctor said softly. “You’re going into shock, and we are going to help you.”

 Barriss was at Alistair’s injured side, her hands hovering over the wound.

 “Alistair, close your eyes,” the Doctor instructed. He closed his own eyes, then he pressed his forehead against the Brigadier’s and softly sang, “ _Kokleda partha mennin klatch, aroon aroon aroon… Ablarka sheena teerinatch, aroon araan aroon_ …” He repeated the entire alien lullaby a few times, even after he soothed Alistair into sleep. He didn’t stop until Barriss tapped his shoulder.

 The Doctor straightened, but still held Alistair’s hand. “Are you finished?”

 “For now, yes,” Barriss replied with a small smile. “He will recover. If I hadn’t found you when I did…”

 “You did, and that’s what matters, my dear.” The Doctor looked at the Brigadier’s shoulder and side. Both had a light green bandage over the wounds. “What did you do? I don’t see any real medical instruments.”

 Barriss answered, “I don’t really need them. My hands and the bacta patches are usually enough.”

 “I see. You have telekinetic powers?”

 Barriss nodded. “You could say that.”

 The Doctor absentmindedly ran his fingers through the unconscious man’s hair in a soothing manner. “The officer of that platoon called you ‘Jedi.’ What does that mean?”

 “You don’t know what a Jedi is? It’s only been five years since… the start of the Empire, and you’re certainly old enough to remember. Unless perhaps you’ve been way out on the Outer Rim your entire life.”

 “Alistair and I are quite the strangers here, Barriss. Assume we don’t know anything.”

 Barriss nodded, a slightly confused expressive on her face. “We’ve got a twenty-one hour flight to Alderaan. We have a few rooms here on this ship, if you want to sleep.” She glanced over the Doctor’s mud-and-blood-stained clothes. “We don’t have any clothes for you, though.”

 “Thank you for the offer, but I’ll stay with him.”

 “Right… I’ll be back soon.”

 The door slid closed behind Barriss as she left the medbay. The Doctor sighed. “Quite a mess we gotten into, eh, Lethbridge-Stewart?”

 Barriss came back a few minutes later with Ahsoka. Ahsoka said, “You’re right. There is definitely something different about them. But… the Force is telling me we can trust them.”

 “Doctor, we know we can trust you. Do you trust us?”

 “I’ve trusted you until now. Why would I stop?”

 ********

 “John, you holding up?”

 “Same as when you last asked me. You?”

 “About the same too, I guess.” Mike slipped on yet another patch of slick frost. Benton caught him and they stopped to rest on a boulder.

 “How long have we been walking?”

 Mike looked at his watch. It wasn’t set for local time, of course, but he could tell how many hours had passed. “Nearly five hours.”

 “Really? Feels like a lot longer.”

 They sat on the boulder, huddled together for warmth, for only a few minutes. They were exhausted, and their strength was nearly depleted from the cold. If they didn’t force themselves to keep going now, it would be a while before they could gather the will to do it again. To make matters worse, they still hadn’t found any evidence of the Doctor or the Brigadier.

 Over an hour later, they finally saw a sign of civilization. Lights in the distance.

 Benton and Mike glanced to each other with broad smiles. “Let’s hope they’re friendly to strangers,” Benton remarked.


	3. Chapter 3

 Mike and Benton finally reached the settlement. It was the size of a town, and it seemed to have an active night-life, with music coming from a few clubs and bars, and people of a variety of species having a good time outside.

 “Let’s try to find a quiet place,” Benton suggested.

 “No argument there,” Mike agreed. He noticed an airport type of building, only spaceships were landing there instead of airplanes.

 It took a few minutes of wandering around, trying not to attract any attention, before they found a quieter bar. They walked inside and were encouraged by the nearly full establishment, so they hopefully wouldn’t stand out too much. There was a five-man band playing some sort of jazz-type music. They were also encouraged by the presence of a few other humans.

 The two men sat down at a booth, wanting to rest before doing anything else. Mike crossed his arms on the table and laid his head on them. He was exhausted, and was still shivering from the cold temperature they had been hiking in for nearly six hours. He was too tired to even object to Benton draping his own jacket over his shoulders.

 Benton placed a hand on Mike’s back and leaned over to talk to him. “Are you alright?”

 “Yeah. Just… give me a minute,” replied the muffled voice.

 The sergeant felt the back of Mike’s neck, and didn’t flinch away at the coldness. He gently massaged to bring warmth back into Mike’s body.

 Someone joined them and sat in the booth across the table. Mike immediately raised his head and sat up.

 “Apologies,” said the young woman. “Did not mean to startle.” She was feline in appearance, like a mix between a human and a lion. She had dark brown short fur, with a black ridge of longer fur going down the middle of her head and down her spine. Her eyes were a golden colour. She was dressed in a midriff-baring leather-like material. “Are you alright?”

 “Yes,” Mike answered quickly. “We’ve just had a rough time, is all.”

 “Looks like it.” The alien woman glanced to the bar. “Is there anything I can get you?”

 Mike and Benton looked at each other for a second, incredulous at this woman’s generosity. Benton answered, “Water would be great.”

 The lion-like woman stood and went to the bar, her tail nearly trailing on the floor. Her pawed feet were shoeless.

 “I have one question,” said Benton as he watched the young woman. “How did we understand her? Surely she’s not speaking English?”

 “I highly doubt that. Something to do with the Doctor and how we got here, I suppose?”

 Benton nodded. “Probably.”

 Mike glanced around the establishment. “At least we haven’t attracted much attention.”

 “Let’s hope it stays that way.”

 The woman came back a minute later with two tall glasses of water, an orange-coloured drink for herself, and a plate of muffins. “Look like you need something to eat, too,” she explained.

 “Thank you,” Benton reached for a muffin first.

 The woman smiled. “I am Zajee”

 “I’m Mike, and he’s John,” Mike introduced after taking a long drink of the water.

 Benton swallowed the mouthful of food and said, “How do you do?”

 “Curious,” was Zajee’s vague response. She briefly touched the back of Mike’s still-shivering hand. “You’ve been out in the cold for a long while.” She felt the sleeve of Benton’s uniform. “Not in the right clothing for it.”

 “We had a six hour hike from where… our ship crashed,” explained Mike.

 Zajee nodded, then lowered her tone. “Your uniforms… military? But not local, and definitely not Imperial.”

 “We… we’re not from around here,” Benton quietly replied. “Not from this planet, I mean.”

 “A couple of lost travelers is what we are,” Mike added.

 “How lost?”

 “We didn’t get a chance to… find out the name of this planet before we crashed.”

 “Onderon.” At the lack of recognition on the men’s faces, she added, “In the Inner Rim.”

 Mike didn’t want to sound too ignorant, and didn’t ask what Inner Rim meant.

 Zajee added, “This is Basloa, which isn’t too far from the capital city of Iziz.”

 Benton and Mike nodded, hoping to show some understanding. They could tell that Zajee saw through it, but were grateful that she didn’t pry into why they didn’t know anything she mentioned.

 Zajee leaned across the table to whisper, “You need help?”

 Mike debated with how much to tell her. She had been gracious so far, but he didn’t want to take advantage of her kindness. “We need to get in contact with two of our friends. They… they were on a separate ship, and we lost all contact with them.”

 “If we could somehow get in touch with them…” Benton let himself trail off in thought. How could they possibly contact the Doctor and the Brigadier? They didn’t even know how far away they had gone past them. They might not even be on the same planet. And they were in a world they didn’t understand.

 “But we don’t want to attract attention,” Mike added.

 Zajee twirled her tail around her hand in contemplation. “I would not recommend you going to the security here, then. They would take a matter like this directly to the Imperial forces.”

 “That sounds like a bad thing,” Benton replied.

 Zajee nodded. “Not very nice people.”

 The three of them ate and drank in quiet for a couple minutes. Benton and Mike nearly choked on their water and muffins when Zajee said, “How long have you two been together?”

 “Excuse me?” Mike said first.

 “Apologies,” she responded with a sly smile. “Not meaning to offend.”

 Benton said, “We’re not offended…” He raised his eyebrows at the unexpected small-talk prompt, but what point was there in lying in this place. “But, we do our best to keep it secret.”

 “Why should you keep it secret?”

 “Um… there are… expectations of us. Things I’d rather not get into right now.” Mike cleared his throat. “How did you know?”

 “You are wearing his jacket, and seem quite comfortable.” She turned to Benton. “You are very protective of him, but are trying not to show it.” She focused her gaze back on both of them. “There is more than enough space in this booth, and you two are sitting very close. So close that your legs are touching under the table. Also, your scent.”

 They didn’t ask her to elaborate on her last point.

 Zajee grinned. “Anyway, what are we to do about you? You are tired and need to rest.”

 “We have no money.”

 “No problem. You can stay at my home until you are well-rested and you figure out what to do.”

 “You’re sure about that?” responded Benton. “We don’t want to take advantage.”

 “It’s no problem,” Zajee assured. “It is late, and I am getting tired. Are you ready to leave?”

 Mike shrugged off Benton’s jacket from his shoulders and gave it back.

 “Back into the cold?” responded Benton as he put his jacket on.

 “Only for a few minutes. I don’t live far.”

 “Alright then, lead on.”

 Zajee lead them outside, then got between the two men and slung her arms over their shoulders. “It’s not often I have guests over,” she said. “And I’ll be doing a good deed… for two cute Human men.”

 “Well, that’s a new one for me,” responded Mike.

 “New one for me as well,” Benton replied with a grin.

 “Being complimented by a non-human?” Zajee caught on. “Interesting.”

 “Why are you helping us?” Benton quietly asked.

 “You need help, and you are not Imperial. Do I need another reason?”

 “I suppose not?”

 The three of them didn’t get much farther before someone from behind shouted, “Stop right there!”

 “Kark!” Zajee swore as they turned around. A squad of five white-armoured soldiers and a black-uniformed officer. “We’ve skipped directly to the Imperials,” she whispered to the men at her side.

 “Quiet!” the officer commanded.  “Put your hands up.”

 Mike, Benton, and Zajee complied. They were directed towards a building wall and told to turn around with their hands against the wall.

 “We received a call of two suspicious men, dressed in unknown military uniforms. I think we found the right people.” The officer said to his men, “Search them.”

 They were quiet as the white-armoured soldiers patted them down. Zajee growled when one pulled at her tail. Mike and Benton managed not to protest when their guns were taken away.

 “Alright, turn around,” the officer said when the search was done. He had Benton’s pistol in his hand, studying it. “Interesting. Such an ancient technology.” He looked back up. “Added to the unknown uniforms and suspicious sudden appearance, and we have ourselves a case.”

 “Let her go,” Benton requested.

 “Excuse me?”

 “Whatever you’re arresting us for, she had nothing to do with it,” he elaborated. “We’ve only just met her at the bar.”

 The officer turned the gun over in his hands as he thought.

 “Please. We’ll come quietly. Just let her go,” pleaded Mike. “I promise that she has nothing to do with us.”

 “But-“ Zajee spoke up.

 “We don’t want you to get hurt for something you didn’t do,” Benton interrupted her.

 “You can attest to this, Cat?”

 Zajee’s pointed ears flattened against her head at the insult. She took a breath and answered, “Yes, I’ve only just met them.”

 “Well, the caller did only report these two human men.” A smirk appeared on the officer’s face. “Consider yourself lucky. You may go.”

 Zajee looked up at the two men she wanted to help, not quite sure of what to do.

 “Go, please,” Mike persuaded.

 Zajee sighed and mouthed, “Apologies.” Then she turned and hurriedly walked away, glancing back every couple of steps.

 When Zajee turned a corner and disappeared from view, the officer said, “I am placing you under arrest. Hold your hands out in front of you.”

 Mike and Benton did as they were told. The handcuffs that were placed on them were a metal bar in the middle and an energy current wrapping snugly around their wrists. They were lead to an open-air hovering vehicle.

 Mike and Benton were quiet as they were taken to the security station. They were taken into a semi-open office and sat down in chairs in front of the desk. The officer who had arrested them sat at the desk, looking at a small flat computer screen. Two of the armoured soldiers took position on either side of the prisoners.

 The officer said, “State your name, species, and homeworld.”

 This was a situation that they had wanted to avoid completely. Mike was first to answer. “Michael Yates, Human, Earth.”

 “John Benton, Human, Earth.”

 The officer raised an eyebrow.  “How did you get here?”

 “Here, as in…?” Benton asked.

 “As in Onderon, as in Basloa. What ship did you arrive on? Was it civilian?”

 Once again, Mike took the lead. He decided to stick with the story they had told Zajee. “Our ship crashed, about a six-hour walk from here.”

 “What kind of ship?”

 “Personal. Just the two of us on it. All of our communications failed and were destroyed. We weren’t… planning to land on this planet.”

 The officer considered their story for a moment. Then he ordered the two soldiers to take Mike and Benton to the common area. They sat on a bench with the two soldiers standing guard at their sides.

 The soldiers had removed their helmets, and at first Mike and Benton thought they were twins. But then they saw other white-armoured soldiers without helmets, and they all had the same face.

 “Multiples of the same person?” Benton whispered. “That’s cloning, right?”

 “Probably,” Mike whispered back. It wasn’t too outlandish, in a place with flying vehicles, spaceships, and energy-beam handcuffs. “I presume that officer is contacting his superiors to figure out what to do with us.”

 Benton half-smiled. “Standard procedure.” He noticed that Mike’s body was still tense and shivering. “Still cold?”

 Mike nodded. There wasn’t much Benton could do, except hold the other man’s hand. Mike took the opportunity for any time of rest and laid his head on Benton’s shoulder.

 “Mike?” Benton said in a concerned tone.

 “I’m fine, I promise. Just… so tired.”

 “At least we got something to eat,” Benton replied. He sighed when Mike fell quiet, and glanced around the security station. It wasn’t much different from police stations on Earth, except for the technology. About half of the security forces were non-human, and the cloned soldiers made up most of the human forces.

 Benton tapped Mike’s thigh when the officer approached them. The officer said, “I’m taking you to Iziz, and they will deal with you.”

 “We’ve caused that much trouble?” Mike inquired. “We haven’t done anything wrong. We’re just two lost travelers.”

 The officer shook his head. “You’ll be out of my hands soon. Get up. Let’s go.”

 Mike and Benton were led to a closed vehicle and pushed into the back. One of the soldiers, now wearing the helmet again, accompanied them in the back, while the other sat in front with the officer.

 At least they wouldn’t be cold on the way to the capital city. Mike and Benton were quiet, the backs of their hands touching in the small space between them, and hoping the situation would not get much worse.


	4. Chapter 4

 “You’ll recover, my friend. I promise.” The Doctor quietly said as he wiped a line of sweat from Alistair’s brow with a handkerchief. After Barriss and Ahsoka had told him some of the recent history, he had taken a shower. Unfortunately, he did have to get back into his ruined clothes. Barriss had also made him a small meal to eat.

 Now, he was back in the infirmary, tending to his friend. Out of nothing else to do, he started talking. “You’re not going to like this, but we’re in a different galaxy. Earth and Gallifrey don’t exist here. What’s worse is that we haven’t exactly arrived at a good time. There’s an empire that rules most of this galaxy, and it isn’t a friendly bunch of people.” The Doctor sighed. “As for Yates and Benton… I don’t have an idea of how to start looking for them, at least at the moment.”

 Alistair unconsciously groaned in pain and tried to roll over onto his side. The Doctor caught him before he could fall off the bed. “Hurting yourself won’t do, old chap.” He resettled Alistair and wrapped the thermal blanket around the shivering man more securely. “You’re quite fortunate, you know. Not only were we rescued, but we were rescued by a Jedi healer.” He leaned back in the chair. “Fascinating people, Jedi. Unfortunately, the rise of the Empire was the fall of their people. There’s not many of them left. Based on Barriss and Ahsoka, I would’ve liked to have seen their Order in its prime.”

 The Doctor sighed. “You can rest assured that I am working on getting this demat device working again. Or I will be, when I can get supplies. Hopefully it can get us back home. Until then, we’ll have to lay low and not attract unwanted attention.”

 ********

 The security vehicle arrived at the capital city of Iziz, and stopped outside of a large security station. Mike and Benton were taken inside. This station seemed to be Imperial only, with the Imperial-uniformed Human officers and the cloned soldiers.

 Mike and Benton were taken to an interrogation room, and restrained by their wrists to the chairs. Then they were left alone for a few minutes. They didn’t say anything to each other, not wanting to accidently say anything to hurt their chances of getting out of here.

 An officer walked in with a soldier accompanying him. The soldier stayed by the door, while the officer sat in the chair across the table from the UNIT men.

 “I am Commander Nado. You are Mike Yates and John Benton, correct?”

 Both men answered, “Yes.”

 “You’re interesting, and not in a good way. No one has given us a non-existent planet as their homeworld before.”

 “Non-existent?” Benton was first to respond.

 “You said Earth is your homeworld. There is no planet called Earth. And there are no Humans from Wild Space. No homeworlds or colonies.” Nado took two guns from his belt and set them on the table. “These are yours?”

 “Yes,” Mike answered.

 “Primitive weaponry,” the officer stated, picking one up. ”Propulsion projectile system. You only see these in ancient history museums. People don’t carry antique items around with them. Strange, don’t you think?”

 Mike and Benton didn’t reply. Nado half-smiled at their silence.

 “Another thing, your uniforms. Military. What force do you belong to?”

 “UNIT,” answered Mike. He turned his shoulder so Nado could see the insignia on his bicep.

 “And what is UNIT?”

 “A specialized taskforce to protect Earth.”

 Nado shook his head, seemingly in disbelief. He continued with the questioning. “I was told you accidently crashed your personal ship on Onderon, six hours walking distance from Basloa.”

 “Yes,” Mike confirmed.

 “I find that story suspect, with the non-existent homeworld and military organization. So, I’m having my men investigate your claim.”

 Mike and Benton resisted the urge to look to each other.

 “If it is found that you lied to us, there will be severe consequences. I will come back when they report to me about your account.” Nado picked up the Earth guns from the table and left the room, followed by the helmeted soldier.

 When the door slid closed, Mike closed his eyes and quietly said, “They’re not going to find anything. They’re not going to let us go.”

 “Wherever in the universe we are, we really didn’t come at a good time.”

 “Yeah.” Mike’s mind started imagining what consequences the Imperial officer was talking about. “Prison, at least,” he said aloud.

 “Likely.”

 They didn’t say anything else, waiting with dread on the return of Commander Nado.

 

 Nado came back nearly two hours later, and he had an odd expression on his face, like a combination of anger and pleasure. “You lied,” he stated. “There is no record of a ship entering the atmosphere in that general area. There is no wreckage or any sign of a crashed ship in that area. Are you still going to stick to your story?”

 Mike swallowed, and kept his composure. “We are from Earth.”

 “What are the galactic coordinates?”

 Mike and Benton glanced to each other. “We don’t know.”

 “You don’t know? Let’s make it easier. What region of space is it in?”

 “We don’t know.”

 Nado pulled Mike’s chair back away from the table so that he could put his hands around Mike’s forearms and leaned down to get close. “You don’t know because it doesn’t exist.”

 Nado straightened and turned away. He pulled a stick, not unlike the Brigadier’s swagger stick, from his belt. He quickly turned and struck Mike across the face with it.

 Mike’s head snapped to the side from the impact.

 “You better start telling the truth.” Nado hit Mike again, this time with enough force to make blood spew from his mouth.

 Benton couldn’t turn his head enough to see what was happening, but he could hear the crack of metal against flesh. “Stop it!” he yelled. The energy restraints on his wrists didn’t let him move much.

 “Tell me the truth!” Nado commanded again and again. He struck the helpless Mike with the stick after each demand, hitting a different place on his body each time. He ignored Benton’s cries telling him to stop.

 The Imperial officer finally stopped with a thrusting blow to Mike’s chest, forcing out a long wheezing exhale. “You’re going to be stubborn, I see.” He pushed Mike’s chair back to its original position.

 Benton looked over, concerned. Mike was breathing heavily, and when he raised his head, Benton saw a trail of blood running down over his eye from a cut on his forehead. There was a shaky smile to assure Benton that he was alright. A smile for his benefit.

 “Would you like to answer, Benton?” Nado inquired. He put his metal stick under the sergeant’s chin. “Is Earth a codename for a Rebel base? What about UNIT?”

 Benton swallowed, prepared to answer that he didn’t know anything. Mike stopped him by telling Nado, “He doesn’t know anything that I don’t.” He quickly added, “He’s lower rank than me. He wouldn’t know as much.”

 “Is that so? Maybe I should question him anyway. Perhaps he would be more forthcoming about what he does know.”

 “I’m just as stubborn as he is,” Benton replied.

 Nado sighed. “Your interrogation will continue at a later time, in prison.”

 “What are the charges?” Benton asked first.

 “Class Five charges against the Empire. Conspiracy and threat to the Empire.”

 “But we aren’t a threat,” Mike protested. “We’re not part of whoever these rebels are.”

 “You haven’t given any proof to the contrary. You must admit, you haven’t endeared yourselves to us. Preferring to lie and be mysterious, instead of truthful and cooperative.”

 “We’re not lying,” Mike protested thickly through the blood welling in his mouth. He didn’t want to swallow it or spit it out. It began to trickle down his chin.

 Nado didn’t reply. He signaled to the soldier, who left. He came back with three of his comrades.

 The energy restraints around Mike and Benton’s wrists were deactivated. Two of the soldiers seized Mike’s arms, while the other two did the same to Benton.

 “Take him to the holding cells,” Nado ordered the guards holding Benton. To the guards in charge of Mike, “You two follow me. There’s something I want to try with him.”

 “Leave him alone,” Benton hissed, his glare intense.

 Nado smirked. “Or what?”

 Benton didn’t have a feasible threat, and snorted in frustration before he was led away from Mike and Nado.

 Benton went quietly with the two soldiers to the holding cells. He was pushed into an empty cell. A red force-field appeared at the entrance. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to escape.

 With another noise of frustration and helplessness, Benton sat on the metal bench. He scooted backwards to be in the corner, then brought his knees up to rest his forehead on.

 This whole thing had gone almost as bad as it could have. Charged with threatening this empire and assumed to be part of that rebel group. They would be sent to prison soon, and interrogated further. And what was Nado doing with Mike?

 Benton clenched his fists at the thought of the commander hurting Mike more. Why couldn’t he see they were telling the truth?

 Benton could only hope that the Doctor and the Brigadier were in a better situation.


	5. Chapter 5

 Over an hour passed before Benton heard someone approaching his cell. He quickly stood. Two soldiers were half-dragging Mike between them. The force-field went down and they shoved him in.

 Mike stumbled and nearly fell into Benton’s arms. Benton could feel that he was physically weak and dazed.

 Benton looked up when Nado spoke. “A prison ship will be here for you tomorrow evening. You will be taken to the Imperial prison on Garen IV.” Without another word, the commander left.

 Benton half-dragged Mike over to the bench and gently set him down. He slumped against the wall, physically drained by whatever Nado had done to him.

 Benton stood over the other man and took Mike’s head gingerly in his hands and tilted it up to look him over. His eyes were glazed over and unfocused. There was a forming bruise on his jaw, but the cut on his forehead had been cleaned and the blood on his face was gone. Though his teeth were still stained a bit red from the blood that had been in his mouth.

 “Mike?” Benton asked in concern. His hands moved to rest on the other man’s shoulders.

 Mike’s hand weakly came up to grab the side of Benton’s trousers. He blinked a few times, trying to focus his eyes. He gave up and let his head slump forward to rest on his partner’s stomach.

 “Mike, please say something.”

 “… drugged me,” Mike finally said in a quiet tone.

 “With what?”

 “Made me feel… funny all over. Weak. Tired. And… in my mind.”

 Benton held Mike close and stroked his back. “What else happened?”

 “… asked me things. Don’t think he liked… my answers.”

 Benton deduced, “He gave you some kind of drug to make you tell the truth?”

 “Maybe.” Mike let out a long breath. “He said…” he struggled to remember the words. “Said I was… strongly mentally conditioned to answer with lies.”

 “Of course he would. Did anything else happen?”

 “They cleaned my face, I think.”

 “Are you okay?”

 “Think so. Tired. Cold.”

 Benton took off his uniform jacket and set it on the bench next to Mike. Then he sat down and gathered Mike into his lap. The side of Mike’s head rested against Benton’s chest, with his hair touching Benton’s chin. Benton took his jacket and draped it over his partner, and tucked it around him securely.

 Mike tilted his head up to press his slightly parted lips to Benton’s jaw. It wasn’t quite a kiss, but it was the most his fatigued body would allow. He felt Benton’s half-smile and settled down into sleep.

 ********

 The Doctor felt the ship finally land and told the still-unconscious Brigadier, “Seems like we’ve arrived on Alderaan.”

 Barriss came into the infirmary to affirm the Doctor’s guess. “We have a few spare bedrooms.” She looked to Alistair. “We can move him.”

 The Doctor gently picked his friend up and carried him out of the ship. Barriss grabbed the demat box and followed. Ahsoka met them outside, with a smile on her face.

 “Home sweet home,” Ahsoka said.

 The Doctor followed Ahsoka and Barriss across the lush grass to the beautiful two-story house. It was nearing nighttime, and the Doctor could see the rising moon reflecting in the water of a clear small lake.

 “This is a bit…” the Doctor stopped himself, not wanting to sound rude.

 “Unexpected for two outlaw Jedi in hiding?” Ahsoka finished.

 “Well, yes.”

 “We have a good friend on Alderaan,” Barriss explained. “This is out of the way enough, but still relatively close to the capital Aldera.”

 “I’m certain that’s quite helpful to your cause.” The Doctor turned sideways to step through the front door after Barriss keyed in the lock code to open it. Alistair let out an unconscious moan. The Doctor readjusted the man in his arms. “Settle down, old chap. You’re still in good hands.”

 Ahsoka led the way to the second level, and opened the door to a bedroom. “He can sleep here. You can have the next room over.”

 “Is this a sort of layover for people you help?” the Doctor inquired, gently putting Alistair down on the bed. At the rise of Ahsoka’s brow, he added, “I’ve seen this type of situation several times before.”

 Barriss came in with fresh bacta bandages. She informed, “Your box is in your room.” The Doctor moved to stand by the wall to let her work.

 “We do what we can to help individuals, yes,” Ahsoka answered. “Alderaan is good for connections.” She looked the Doctor over. “We’ll have to get you both new clothes. The market should still be open, if I leave now.”

 “Yes…” the Doctor pulled at a bloodstained velvet sleeve. “That is a shame.”

 Ahsoka lightly bowed as she left the room.

 The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck as he watched Barriss work. Now that he didn’t need to calm his friend, he could appreciate the trance-like state she was in to assist in her ministrations.

 The wounds on Alistair’s chest and abdomen already looked better. “He’ll make a full recovery?” the Doctor asked.

 “Yes, he should, though he shouldn’t do anything too strenuous for a while.”

 “Try telling him that,” the Doctor chuckled.

 “Stubborn person of action, is he?” Barriss asked with a little smile as she put on the new bandages.

 “Very much so.”

 “Ahsoka is the same way, though she has mellowed from her very impatient manner since we first met.” Barriss sighed as she got up to get a blanket from the closet. “Much has happened since then.”

 The Doctor nodded, helping the Jedi to tuck the blanket around Alistair.

 “I’ll be back in a few minutes, with food.”

 The Doctor pulled the chair away from the desk to Alistair’s bedside and sat. He leaned back and brought his hands together under his chin. His gaze watched over his injured friend, but his mind was focused on figuring out which tools he would need to fix the dematerialization box.

 

 Almost two hours after the meal, Ahsoka returned with clothes for the Doctor and Alistair. The Doctor gladly accepted the opportunity to change from his ruined clothes, and went to his room to do so.

 The Doctor smiled at Ahsoka’s attempt to get a tunic and trousers similar to his style. He still folded his old clothes out of habit and took a few minutes to examine the demat box. Then he went off to explore the house, as the two Jedi had said he was welcome to do.

 He found the two of them talking quietly on a balcony, Ahsoka standing on the railing and Barriss sitting cross-legged on the stone floor. “I hope I’m not interrupting?” he greeted when they turned to look at him.

 “Not at all,” Barriss smiled. “We were just talking about you and your friend.”

 “What kind of technological tools do you have here? I would like to get to work on the demat box as soon as possible.”

 “Before I let you run rampant with my tools,” Ahsoka said, “We were wondering if you would be able to help us in our cause.”

 “You did say you’ve seen this type of situation before,” Barriss clarified.

 “I have, yes, though not precisely like this on this galactic scale. I’m not certain what I could do that you and your people haven’t already tried.”

 “I think right now, we’re looking for any new ideas or perspectives,” Ahsoka replied.

 “In that case, I can certainly give any ideas I might have,” the Doctor accepted.

 “Come, I’ll explain more about our situation to you while you work on your box,” Ahsoka said with a smile, leading the Doctor to the workshop room.


	6. Chapter 6

The first thing Mike became aware of as he slowly wakened was the sound of Benton’s snoring above him. The second was the warmth of the other man’s body and arms wrapped around him. Mike blinked slowly a few times, the wet fuzzy feeling in his head from the drug draining away. He stretched one arm out, and exhaled slowly.

 Benton felt the movement, and groaned. “Feeling any better?” he asked sleepily.

 “My head is clearer, yes,” Mike answered. With a sigh, he maneuvered his way out of the other man’s hold to sit beside him. “How long do you think we’ve got before that prison ship comes for us?”

 Benton glanced around for a window to measure time by daylight, but then remembered there wasn’t one. “No idea.”

 “Any ideas for escape?”

 “Well, I haven’t tested the strength of that force-field myself, but I assume it’s not pleasant to run into.”

 Mike chuckled. “No, let’s not injure ourselves.”

 “I’m sure the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver could sort that out,” Benton said. “Too bad he’s not with us, or anywhere near here.”

 “If he was with us, I doubt he would’ve been able to keep it on him.”

 “Do you think we’d be able to escape when they move us to the ship?”

 Mike glanced to Benton with a raised brow. “The two of us, unarmed, against all the soldiers and officers in this station, then who knows how many from the ship? I can’t say I fancy those chances.”

 Benton half-smiled. “We’ve been up against the wall before.”

 “Indeed we have…” After a few minutes, Mike cocked his head and asked, “Did you hear that?”

 “Hear what?” Benton furrowed his brow at the high-pitched whine that reached his ears. He stood up first and quietly went over to the force-field. “Hello?” he asked, trying to peer around the corner through the transparent red barrier.

 Mike joined him, though neither could see anything except the opposing empty cell. The whine became higher and louder, causing them both to cover their ears and step back against it.

 Without warning, a spray of sparks shot out from the door control on the outside, and the force-field fizzled for a couple seconds before disappearing. Mike and Benton glanced to each other for a second before taking a step towards the now-open door.

 They froze as someone stepped in front of them, blocking the way out. The person was smaller than them, covered head-to-toe in some sort of flightsuit, boots, hooded cloak, and goggled facemask. Before they could say anything, the person greeted, “Hello, friends,” as they lifted the goggles up.

 The accent and golden eyes set Mike and Benton at ease. “Zajee,” they breathed.

 She nodded and put her goggles back in place. “Come, we do not have much time.”

 “You really don’t take no for an answer to helping people, do you?” Benton said with a smile as he picked up their uniform jackets from the bench.

 “Is a gift and curse,” Zajee replied. “I trust you are fit to escape?”

 “Of course,” Mike nodded, shrugging on his jacket.

 “What about security cameras?” Benton asked.

 Zajee quietly stepped along the corridor, gesturing for them to stay for a moment, then waving them forward. “Taken care of, for a short while,” she answered.

 A minute later, they all stopped and pressed their backs against a wall, hoping the passing soldiers wouldn’t turn their way. Benton, next to their rescuer, thought he heard her muttering under her breath.

 When the soldiers turned a corner, Zajee waited a few seconds before continuing to lead them through the complex. To Mike and Benton’s surprise, they didn’t come across any encounters on the way, much to their appreciation, since they had no weapons to defend themselves.

 Zajee stopped at a window, and pulled out a laser tool. “Keep watch,” she instructed.

 Mike and Benton took up a good position, wishing they had been able to find their guns on the way. It would certainly work on the unarmoured officers and local security. Even if the armour the clone soldiers wore were bulletproof, it might make them hesitate to attack.

 “Someone approaching,” Benton reported, ducking back from peeking around a corner.

 “Almost got it,” Zajee replied.

 Benton waved Mike back and backed towards the window himself. “They’re almost on us.” He and Mike shared a quick glance, preparing for a fight.

 The seconds ticked by, and as soon as the unarmoured security guards rounded the corner, Zajee hissed, “Got it! Come on!”

 “Hey! Stop!” the guards shouted, withdrawing their guns from their holsters.

 Zajee dove through the window. Benton pushed Mike after her, putting himself in the line of fire as they escaped. He instinctively ducked as a red bolt struck the wall near his leg.

 “That is all the warning you get!” one of the guards said. “Stop!”

 The second Mike’s legs disappeared through the window, Benton started after him. He bit down on the pained gasp that bubbled in his throat at the sharp burning pain along his side. He couldn’t afford for it to slow them down.

 Mike grabbed Benton’s wrist and pulled him along the side of the building, preventing the immediate guards from shooting at them as they ran. At the sound of gunfire, Mike glanced back. “One’s following us!”

 As soon as they rounded a corner, Zajee turned and in one movement, leaped up onto Benton’s shoulders to spring off, coming down on their pursuer as he hit the corner, ending up straddling his chest on the ground. She quickly pulled a short stick from her belt and struck him across the face, a brief blue sparking coursing through it, leaving the guard unconscious.

 Zajee shot up from her victim and pointed to a ladder hatch set into the side of the building. “Up.”

 Benton reached up, wincing at the pull of his injured side, to pull down the hatch. The whispered, “Hurry!” from the woman spurred him to move faster and yank the ladder down enough to climb up.

 As soon as they were all in the cylinder lined with dim lights, with neither Mike nor Benton seeing how the ladder retracted and the hatch closed, Zajee told them to stop climbing and stay silent.

 Benton looped his arm through a rung and leaned over to glance down past Mike to Zajee, though he didn’t get any hint of her intentions through the facemask, goggles, and hood.

 Mike’s grip on the ladder rung tightened at the sound of an alarm going off in the building. He thought he heard Zajee mumbling under her breath, but was distracted from trying to decipher the words by something wet dropping onto his hand. His brow furrowed at the crimson colour, and looked up to Benton. The other man caught his gaze and shortly shook his head, telling Mike to worry about it later. Mike nodded his acknowledgement, visibly hiding his concern.

 After another minute, Zajee tapped Mike’s foot and pointed up. Mike relayed the message to Benton, and they made their way up the ladder to emerge onto the roof. Benton’s hand clutched at his side for a second as he straightened, and ignored the sticky blood that came away on his hand.

 “Do you break people out of here often?” Benton inquired, his voice slightly betraying the pain in his body.

 “Not often,” Zajee replied, and the two men sensed her teasing smile. She took the lead across the rooftop, keeping low.

 Mike and Benton followed, Mike keeping the other man in front of him to be sure his injury didn’t make him lag behind. Zajee waved them over to another ladder on the side of the building.

 “When we get down, we’ll have to run,” she instructed.

 “I’m up for it,” Benton assured.

 At Mike’s nod, Zajee started climbing down the ladder. Benton went next, with Mike going last. When they were nearly at the bottom to the closed hatch, Zajee motioned for them to stay still, turned upside-down, climbed down the rest of the way, pushed the hatch open, and poked her head out to check the area.

 Benton and Mike watched Zajee drop down to the ground, landing gracefully on her feet. She disappeared from view for a few seconds. “Wish I could move like that,” Mike commented.  

 Zajee returned. “Come, we have an opening.”

 Benton dropped down to the ground, biting his lip at the jolt of pain up his side. The second Mike’s feet touched the ground, Zajee took off running to the solid fence a little distance away.

 “She didn’t say anything about climbing,” Benton huffed beside Mike.

 Mike didn’t bother with asking if Benton could make it, and simply nodded his acknowledgment.

 Zajee stopped when she reached the fence and turned to the two men, crouching and holding her hands together at her waist. Mike asked when they reached her, “You’re going to boost us up?”

 “Yes. Back up a bit and run at me.”

 Mike and Benton glanced to each other, both wondering how helpful that would be with her smaller size. Still, they backed up, and Mike ran at her first. The moment his foot landed in her hands, he suddenly felt lighter, and she pushed him up to nearly the top of the fifteen-foot fence. He grabbed the solid metal and clambered to the top. He swung one leg over and straddled it.

 Benton ended up a little lower on the fence, and Mike reached down to help him up. Zajee seemed to make her way up alongside them in two movements, and they all quickly scrambled down the other side.

 Zajee led them to an area of overgrowth, and pulled some foliage from a half-hidden hover vehicle. Without hesitation, Mike and Benton climbed into the backseats. Zajee jumped into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and began driving away from the station.

 As a metal canopy came over the open seats, Mike turned to Benton and asked, “How bad is it?”

 Benton let out a long breath. “Hurts, but I think I’ll live.”

 Mike pressed his hand to the bloody hole of Benton’s uniform. Blood trickled through his fingers. “John…”

 “Under the seat is a medikit,” Zajee said as she glanced back to them. She had removed her goggles and mask.

 Benton tried to relax in his seat, now pressing his own hand to the wound. Mike bent over and felt under the seat, and came up with a small bag. “This?” he asked their rescuer.

 Zajee glanced back again. “Yes.” She refocused on her driving. “There are bacta bandages.”

 “Bacta?” Mike asked, rifling through the medikit contents.

 “You do not know what bacta is?” Zajee’s tone was incredulous. She added, “You really must not be from around here. They’re the thicker square-cut ones.”

 Mike found a few and opened the thin plastic around one. One side felt slightly slimy. “Right. John, your shirt.”

 Benton’s breathing had become more strained, now that the adrenaline was wearing off. He gingerly took his arm from the sleeve of his jacket, and pulled his shirt up enough for the other man to treat the wound.

 Mike used some of the regular bandages to press to the still-leaking wound to stem the flow. Benton let out a quick gasp at the pain. “Sorry,” Mike responded.

 After a moment, Mike lifted the now-red bandages to check on it, and winced at the sight of it. It didn’t look like a regular bullet wound. Still, the blood flow had slowed enough for him to place the bacta bandage over it. He hoped whatever this bacta stuff was would be enough until they could do more for it.

 Mike looked to Benton’s face, who’s skin was now pale, and gave a reassuring smile. “I think you’ll live, Sergeant.”

 Benton slowly blinked. “Hm…” He let his head loll back on the seat back.

 With the most immediate problem taken care of, Mike told Zajee, “Thank you, for coming to our rescue.”

 Zajee didn’t look back to them, focusing more now that they were in more crowded streets of the capital city. “No trouble. Well… a lot of trouble, but trouble I’m willing to go through.”

 Benton chuckled lightly at the teasing tone. “So… are we going back to… Basloa?”

 “Yes. Best place for us. We don’t want to stay in Iziz.”

 “Then what?” Mike inquired.

 “Rest now. Especially you, John. I must apologize for not having anything in the medikit to help with the pain.”

 “That’s alright…” Benton took a steadying breath and closed his eyes. “I can handle it.”

 Mike took off his jacket and laid it over the other man. “At least we won’t end up in some Imperial prison somewhere.”

 “I said to rest back there. I’ll let you know when we’re back at my place.”

 “Yes, ma’am,” Mike nodded. He leaned back beside Benton, placed his hand over the other man’s, and closed his eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

 Aching pain in his shoulder and abdomen was the first thing Alistair became aware of. After a moment, with a groan, he decided it would be a good idea to open his eyes. He did so, and gingerly glanced around, seeing that he was in a sparsely decorated bedroom.

 With a noise of effort, tried to push himself up to a sitting position, and let out a grunt at the pain that flared in his shoulder. He managed to do it with one-arm, and looked down at himself. He was in a loosely-fastened tunic, and saw the edges of bandages peeking out on his shoulder and abdomen.

 Alistair closed his eyes at the memory the sight brought back. Running from soldiers through a forest with the Doctor, a cry of warning, sharp and burning pains in his body… then after that, it was all muzzy and confused.

 He opened his eyes again and took a better look at his surroundings. Obviously, the Doctor had managed to get them away from the soldiers and find him help. He had a hazy memory of a tattooed face and a young woman’s voice, and then… singing? No, that was a lower voice… the Doctor’s?

 Alistair shook his head and pushed off the blanket, a slight shiver going through his bare legs. “Doctor?” he called out. At the lack of any answer from beyond the door, he sighed. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood. He had to reach out to the bedside storage unit to steady himself. How long had he been unconscious?

 He spotted the folded clothes on the top. They weren’t his uniform, but he supposed that had been ruined. He tightly-fastened the long tunic he was already wearing, and pulled on the trousers, wincing at the pull of the muscles in his wounded areas. 

 Alistair took a few unsteady steps to the doorway, looking for a handle to open the door with. He took a step back when the door slid open at his presence. “Well, now I’m sure I’m not a prisoner,” he remarked.

 Still, he was in an unfamiliar place and situation, and Alistair was wary as he quietly walked out with his bare feet. He hadn’t spotted his shoes in the bedroom.

 He was in a large house, and his tentative call out for the Doctor slightly echoed around him. His hand habitually hovered over his hip, where his pistol would normally be holstered.

 After a few minutes of exploring, Alistair ended up down on the ground level and went over to a window to see that it was nighttime, wherever he was. He could see a lake nearby, reflected the moon. “Certainly not the worst spot I’ve woken up in.”

 “He was right about you.”

 Alistair nearly jumped at the unexpected feminine voice behind him. “Excuse me?” he asked, turning to face the person. The young woman, with olive skin and a tattoo across her face, smiled at him.

 “Your friend, the Doctor.” She didn’t explain what amused her. “I sensed you awaken, and was on my way to your room, only to find you already gone.”

 “I… I see. You know who I am, then?”

 The woman nodded and slightly bowed. “I am Barriss Offee.”

 “Pleasure to meet you.” Alistair glanced around. “Do you know where the Doctor is? I’d like to see him.”

 “Of course you do. This way.”

 As Alistair followed Barriss, he asked, “How long was I unconscious?”

 “Over forty-eight standard hours. You will make a full recovery, if you allow your body the opportunity to rest properly.”

 Alistair took the hint with a small smile, though still tried to hide the weakness in his legs and aching pain in his torso. He thought he saw a knowing smile flicker across Barriss’ features, and was grateful she didn’t say anything about that. “I take it I was shot?” he inquired.

 “Yes. As I told the Doctor, we were fortunate to find the two of you when we did.”

 Alistair nodded. “You’re not connected to those white-armoured soldiers?”

 “The opposite. You and your friend have ended up in the middle of a situation you know nothing about.” It wasn’t an insult, but a matter of fact.

 “The usual, then,” Alistair responded with a slight chuckle.

 Barriss stopped in front of a door, which slid open at her proximity. She stepped inside, and Alistair followed her in. It looked like a mechanical workshop, not unlike the Doctor’s lab at UNIT HQ. In the center of the room was an alien woman who looked the same age as Barriss, and the Doctor himself, bent over something, intently studying and quietly talking it over.

 “Doctor!” Alistair greeted.

 The Doctor’s head immediately shot up, and his mouth split into a wide smile at the sight of his friend. “Alistair!” In a fluid motion, emphasized by his longer-than-normal clothing style, he stood and went over to him.  

 “I found him wandering the house,” Barriss informed.

 The Doctor nodded, and put his hand on the other man’s uninjured shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

 Alistair mentally noted the Doctor calling him by his given name, instead of rank or surname, but didn’t question it. “You know me, Doctor. Nothing keeps me down for long.”

 The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “Indeed I do- stubborn.”  

 Alistair smiled at the familiar banter, then looked to the two women at the table the Doctor had vacated. “I take it you know more than I do about the situation?”

 “Yes, and I’ll tell you in time.” The Doctor leaned in closer to his friend. “Right now, I’m more concerned about you.”

 “Really, Doctor-“ Then Alistair saw it. He saw the fear in the Time Lord’s eyes.

 “Alistair, take whatever Barriss says about your condition seriously.”

 Whatever had happened between Alistair getting shot in the forest and now had apparently traumatized the Doctor. He was afraid of losing Alistair, and was not being so guarded over that emotion. After a moment, Alistair nodded, “If that’s your recommendation.” He cleared his throat. “Now, do you care to introduce me to our other friend?”

 The Doctor smiled and took a step back, though kept his hand on his friend’s shoulder. He made a gesture to the women. “Ahsoka Tano, and you’ve met her partner Barriss Offee.”

 Alistair nodded in greeting, then remembered the state of his feet. He cleared his throat. “Doctor, you wouldn’t happen to know where my shoes are, would you?”

 “Oh, my dear chap, under your bed,” the Doctor replied with a little laugh.

 “Under the bed? Not beside it?”

 “Under is the safer place for them.”

 Alistair sighed. “I don’t know what valuables you keep in your shoes, Doctor…”

 The Doctor shook his head in amusement, and looked to Barriss. “Is it alright if I take him?”

 “Walking should be fine for him. I’ll be along later to check on him,” the Jedi healer answered.

 “Don’t worry, I’ll keep him from doing anything strenuous.” The Doctor’s hand never left Alistair’s shoulder as they turned and walked from the workroom.

 After a moment, when the Doctor led him to what seemed to be the back door of the large house, Alistair stated, “I don’t think this is the way to the room I woke up in.”

 The Doctor half-smiled. “I think some fresh air would do you good, and you don’t need shoes for it.” The door slid open, and the cool nighttime breeze ruffled through their hair. “Come sit on the bench.”

 After Alistair gingerly sat down, the Doctor stood to his side, staring out at the dark landscape. “Would you like me to explain the situation we’re in now, or shall I let you relax a bit longer?”

 “The sooner I know what you do, perhaps the sooner we can figure this out.”  

 “Hm…” It took the Doctor another minute to start his explanations.

 

They went back inside when the Doctor noticed Alistair start to shiver, and he led him to their bedrooms.

 “And still no word on Yates and Benton?” Alistair asked.

 The Doctor shook his head. “Ahsoka and Barriss are keeping an ear out for anyone who could be them, but nothing so far. It is a rather large galaxy, and there’s no way for me to know where they ended up.”

 They were quiet as Alistair mulled over all the information. When the door to Alistair’s room slid open, the Doctor went to the bed, bent over, and pulled a pair of boots out from under it.

 Alistair raised his eyebrows. “Doctor.”

 “Yes?”

 “Those are not my shoes.” While they were of a combat design, they weren’t the same.

 The Doctor glanced from the boots to his friend. “Ah, yes… like the rest of our clothes, we decided that changing our footwear to match the local population would be best.”

 “You really think someone will take that close a look at our feet?”

 “You never know, and we do need to blend in as best we can when we’re out.” The Doctor placed the boots in front of the storage unit. “You won’t need these now. I’m sure Barriss is on her way to look you over, and she’ll probably give you food when she’s done.”

 At the mention of food, Alistair felt his stomach growl. “Yes, I am rather peckish. Is the food here any good?”

 The Doctor grinned. “Better than most of what they serve at HQ.”

 “Only most?”

 “Their coffee leaves something to be desired.”

 Both men turned at the little knock at the still-open door. Barriss smiled at them. The Doctor bowed his head as he left the room to give Alistair some privacy.

 While she opened a medical kit, Barriss said in a teasing tone, “They say that healers can make the worst patients, though I have enough experience with soldiers to know it is also true of them.”

 Alistair sat on the edge of the bed, and thought to the instances of Benton discharging himself from the hospital without permission and Yates trying to do his duties through his injuries, and allowed himself a chuckle. “I suppose we can be, while in the line of duty.”

 “Well, consider yourself off duty, and we’ll see if that makes this any better.” She gestured for him to undo his tunic and lie down.

 Alistair did as she said, knowing he would have to be at his physical best for whatever might come in the near future.


	8. Chapter 8

 Zajee motioned for the two men to stay in her vehicle when she parked it in a residential area of Basloa. Mike had recognized the bar they had initially sought refuge in close by. While the young woman checked the area, Mike gently shook Benton awake.

 “Come on, I think we’re here.”

 Benton groggily stirred, and winced at the pain in his side. “Her home?”

 “Think so. It’s where we were headed before being so rudely interrupted by the police.”

 At the tap on the window, Mike looked up and Zajee smiled. “Come on,” she said. “Is safe.”

 Benton needed a little help getting out, and Mike put his arm over his shoulder to help him walk the way to Zajee’s home. It was a one-story place, not cramped or overly spacious once inside.

 Zajee gestured to a couch, and Mike gingerly lowered Benton down on it. While she went to get medical supplies, Benton said, “Sorry, sir. I hope I didn’t slow us down.”

 “What have I told you about calling me ‘sir’ off-duty?” Mike teased. “I think you held up rather well, and we made it out fine.”

 Zajee returned, and Mike moved out of the way to let her tend to Benton’s wound. She said to him, “There is food and drink in the kitchen. What’s mine is yours.”

 Mike left Benton in good hands and found some unknown food that looked appetizing enough.

 The painkillers took effect quickly, and as Zajee worked, Benton mused, “Do you think we could take some of this bacta stuff home with us? I’m sure the Doctor could make more of it.”

 Mike glanced at the wound, and saw that it had already started healing, faster than if there had been a simple bandage over it. “That would be quite useful,” he agreed.

 “You are clearly not from any civilized part of the galaxy.” Zajee finished with placing another bacta bandage over the wound.

 “Well, at least someone believes us,” Mike sighed.

 Zajee pushed Mike down to look over the bruised face and chest from the beating. “You are fortunate they didn’t go straight to more… extreme methods to get you to talk.”

 “I’m sure that was in the plan.” Mike grimaced as her fingers pressed on a particularly sore spot. “Speaking of plans, what’s ours?”

  Zajee pulled away from Mike, and his face did strangely feel less sore. “You two will rest. All three of us, actually. We’re safe enough here for now.”

 “We need to find the Brigadier and the Doctor,” Benton reminded.

 “How to find two more men of strange presence…” Zajee muttered under her breath. She cleared her throat. “I said food and rest right now. We’ll figure out the rest in the morning.”

 “You heard her, John. No discharging yourself,” Mike said lightly.

 “I don’t exactly have anywhere to discharge myself to,” Benton retorted.

 “You can have my bedroom,” Zajee said. “Both of you.”

 “Oh, we can camp out here, it’s no-“

 “No argument. You are injured.”

 Benton sighed and nodded. After a small meal, Mike helped him to the bedroom and onto his back on the sheets.

 Once Benton was comfortable, Mike went back out to the living room to find Zajee on a computer unit more advanced than anything he had seen on Earth.

 “I am looking for any news related to two more strange men being picked up by authorities anywhere on this planet,” the woman explained.

 Mike nodded. “Thank you, for all your help.”

“It is what I know,” Zajee said in a partially dismissive manner.

 “Still, thank you. You’re taking a risk for us.” Mike quickly added, “Not that we doubt you can handle yourself. The jail break proved that.”

 “You are welcome. Now go sleep. Perhaps news of your friends will arrive tomorrow.”

 

 Mike awakened soon after he fell asleep. Benton was still deep asleep, the painkillers more than likely aiding in that. He didn’t know what drew him out of the bedroom, perhaps habit making him decide to check the unfamiliar location for security.

 He found Zajee in the living room, but not at her computer or asleep on the sofa. She was sitting on the floor, a cylindrical object, metal with what looked like bone inset decorations, hovering in the air at the level of her closed eyes. Telekinesis? That would explain how she effortlessly propelled them over the jail fence.

 “I thought I told you to sleep,” Zajee said, not opening her eyes or otherwise moving.

 “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt… whatever it is you’re doing.” Still, Mike’s curiosity was peaked. “Is telekinesis common among your people?”

 Zajee half-grinned in amusement at the question. “You could say that.”

 “And… what’s that you’re floating?”

 Only now did Zajee’s eyes open, as she stared at the man. Mike recognized the expression, one of deciding how far she could trust them.

 “I don’t mean to pry, if it’s something secret.”

 In a graceful movement, she stood and took the object from the air. Quietly, she answered, “It is weapon… and symbol.”

 “Of what?”

 Her voice became heavy, and her expression wistful, almost staring through Mike. “A lost order… a better time…”

 ********

 “Well, if Yates and Benton were picked up by the Imperials, we’ll know eventually,” Ahsoka said, leaning back from her computer, obviously frustrated with the lack of information she could find.

 “If these Imperials are as bad as you say, we might not have until ‘eventually’ to find out,” Alistair replied, tugging down on his tunic to resist the urge to scratch at his bandaged healing wounds.

 “Don’t I know it.” Ahsoka closed her eyes for a moment. “It’s very likely they would be, wearing a military uniform of unknown origin. The ones who nearly got you zeroed in on that fact quickly.”

 “Just our luck that we’d arrive in the middle of a military training exercise,” Alistair muttered. “What would be the chances of rescuing Yates and Benton if the Imperials do have them?”

 Ahsoka shrugged. “Depends on how quickly their case escalates. If they get taken to a prison colony, the security in those places is extremely tight. A prison ship on the way to a colony would be slightly more ideal. Only very slightly more so.”

 “So we need to find and rescue them before they get to that point.”

 “Exactly. An opportunity that gets narrower the longer we don’t get any information of them.”

 Alistair sighed. “This waiting around when my men are out there somewhere, in danger…”

 “It’s a big galaxy, Alistair. And a big empire.”

 ********

 “Just how influential is your friend in high places here?” the Doctor asked Barriss as they drove into the city of Aldera. He had wanted to go out to see if he could find something more specialized to repair the demat box with. As explanation, he added, “If I’m to help you, I need a bigger picture of what you’re working with.”

 Barriss nodded. “On Alderaan, very influential. He is a much-loved public figure off-world as well, which has gained him influence on that stage. You’ll understand if I don’t give his name.”

 “Of course, my dear. So, he has some power within the Imperial system?”

 “Not as much as we’d like, of course, but enough to work with. We try not to involve him in the things that could directly get him into trouble, like the outpost raid where we rescued you, but more subtle things… that’s his area.”

 “I should like to meet him.”

 “Perhaps you might, but not today.”

 “I wasn’t expecting so. You trust this man completely?”

 “He’s been completely loyal to us since the rise of the Empire, putting himself at risk for us from the start.”

 The Doctor got the sense that the ‘us’ didn’t only mean Ahsoka and Barris. He rubbed his thumb over his mouth in thought.

 “We’re working small,” Barris stated. “Still trying to build up something.”

 “Any good rebellion needs a strong foundation.”

 “Exactly. What we’re doing right now doesn’t seem like much- helping a person there, raiding an outpost there, passing on information there- but it’ll become bigger one day.” The young woman let out a long breath. “At least, that’s the hope.”

 “Another thing that a good rebellion needs.”

 Barriss parked the hover vehicle near a street of shops. “Indeed, Doctor. Now, let’s see if we can find what you need.”


	9. Chapter 9

 Ahsoka ducked a strike, letting the blue blade go over her head, and she took a swipe at Barriss’ feet with her own green blade. Barriss jumped and twirled, and their blades met between them with a crackle of energy.

 On the side of the large training room in the house, Alistair watched the fighting dance between the two Jedi. “Absolutely amazing, those weapons and their skill,” he said to the man sitting on the floor beside him.

 The Doctor looked up from working on the demat box to the sparring pair, and grunted his agreement around the small tool half-dangling from his mouth. He put the box and sonic screwdriver down for a moment to rub at the side of his neck. He took the other tool from his mouth to say, “With only having seen a glimpse of Barriss taking on those soldiers who found us, I can say they are very deadly and take a lot of skill to properly wield, indeed.”

 Alistair glanced sideways to the demat box, half taken apart. “Making any progress with that?”

 The Doctor sighed, “I don’t know.” He stomped his foot on the floor in frustration. “It’s so convoluted, absolutely typical of the Master.”

 “I assume he didn’t want us to figure it out and use it against him.”

 A beeping sound from Ahsoka’s wrist brought the sparring match to a quick end, and she smiled to the two men. “We might have something on your Yates and Benton.”

 Alistair quickly got to his feet, grimacing at the slight pull on his injuries the motion brought. The Doctor gathered the pieces of the demat box and followed the three to Ahsoka’s workshop.

 Ahsoka sat at her computer, Alistair, the Doctor, and Barriss crowding around on either side of her as she looked at the results. She explained, “I set the computer to search through Imperial reports containing certain keywords that are unique to yourselves…” She pointed to a report with a highlighted title and opened the file. “Ah, here we are… an arrest report from Onderon. ‘Two men, names Michael Yates and John Benton, wearing military-style uniforms adorned with an emblem reading UNIT-“

 “That’s them, alright,” Alistair said, finding some relief in the news.

 “’-Were picked up in Basloa by Imperial officers. They were taken to an Imperial security facility in Iziz for questioning and processing. During questioning, both men asserted that they were from Earth, a nonexistent planet, and stated that UNIT was a taskforce to protect said planet. They also fabricated a lie about crash-landing six hours walking distance from Basloa. An additional method of interrogation proved useless in getting truthful answers, and more will be used. It is almost certain they are involved with the known rebellion against the Empire. They have been charged with Class Five charges against the Empire- conspiracy and threat to the Empire. They are set to be transported to Garen IV for incarceration and further interrogation at…’ Ah, blast.”

 “What?” Alistair asked first.

 “The date for the prison transport has already passed.” Ahsoka drummed her fingers on the desk.

 “Could we still catch the ship, or will it already have reached… Garen?” Alistair inquired.

 “Even if we could, like I told you, breaking them off the ship is only very slightly better than the prison itself.”

 “They were very efficient at processing them to a prison this quickly,” the Doctor remarked.

 “That’s the Empire for you.”

 “Go back to the results,” Barriss suggested. “I think I noticed something.”

 Ahsoka went back a screen, and Barriss said, “Next result down. See? Same report title, but with ‘update’ added.”

 “Good eye,” the Doctor complimented.

 Ahsoka brought the report up, “It’s from the next morning. ’Prisoners Michael Yates and John Benton escaped with outside assistance.’”

 “Good to know we weren’t the only ones to find friends,” the Doctor nodded.

 “’Escape happened hours before the prison transport ship was due to arrive. We are currently searching for them. Updates will be added as needed.’”

 “So, that means we go to Onder… Onderon, then?” asked Alistair, straightening and glancing to the Doctor.

 “If they and whoever rescued them are smart, they would get off Onderon as soon as they can,” Ahsoka replied.

 Barriss leaned over the other woman and pulled up an information page on Onderon. “It’s a much more heavily Imperial occupied planet than Alderaan. Security at the spaceports will certainly be heavier, especially when they’re looking for escaped prisoners. Staying on Onderon might be the better option, if they can find a good place to lay low.”

 “Either way, going there sounds like the best option for us,” Alistair asserted.

 “I hope they don’t get themselves arrested again before we find them,” the Doctor said.

 “If they get caught again, the immediate punishment will be harsher,” Barriss stated grimly.

 ********

 “We may have trouble,” Zajee announced as she entered her home.

 “We’re not exactly strangers to that, in the short time we’ve been here,” Mike retorted.

 She handed both men a set of clothes. “Imperial and local security patrols are searching for you.”

 “That’s hardly a surprise,” Benton said. “This is where they first caught us.”

 “Exactly. They had good look at me then, and might be asking around for me, in addition to you. I am likely person to ask questions of.”

Benton’s eyes widened. “If someone at the bar who knows where you live saw you leave with us-“ 

 “Yes, yes,” Zajee impatiently interrupted. “Get changed.”

 Mike and Benton went to the bedroom to change their clothes. Zajee burst in, not caring about the half-dressed state of the pair. She hissed, “They are coming door-by-door. Stay in here, lock the door, and be silent.”

 “If they search the place-“ Benton started.

 “I can stop them from doing finding you, but you must be absolutely silent,” Zajee cut off, then left.

 Benton and Mike quickly finished dressing. Mike pressed the lock button on the control panel to the side of the door, and he and Benton sat on the floor, close enough to the door to be able to hear any loud voices outside.

 “When she said she can stop them from searching…?” Benton whispered, shifting a bit to account for his injury. 

 “I assume non-violently,” Mike whispered back. “Anything violent would only bring more attention.”

 Benton nodded, and they sat in silence, listening. The loud knock on the front door jarred them into full alertness.

 “Ah, hello… I cannot say friends, because I don’t make it habit to-“ Mike and Benton had to strain to hear Zajee’s voice.

 “We are conducting an investigation,” the man’s voice was louder and easier to hear through the bedroom door. They also heard the multiple heavy footsteps as the group of security officers came into the home.

 “Investigation? Into what?”

 “Escaped prisoners. You were seen in their company when they were arrested.”

 There was a silence for a few seconds, then Zajee replied, “Oh, those two! Yes, the rather handsome Human men. Shame you arrested them before I could have fun with them.”

 “You should be grateful we did, with their crimes against the Empire. It would’ve looked very bad for you the longer you spent with them.”

 Zajee made a throaty dismissive sound. “I know nothing of any crime, only that they were attractive and of… that interest to me.”

 “Be that as it may, you were the last identifiable person in their company. You haven’t had any contact or seen them within the past day, have you?”

 “No, can’t say I have.”

 “We are under orders to search every home in this area. I trust there will be no protest?”

 “You may search, but you won’t find anything.”

 “We’ll search, but I doubt we’ll find anything. Get to it, men.”

 For a minute, there was the sound of people going through the home, then a pair of footsteps stopped outside the bedroom door. “Bedroom?” asked the same officer.

 “Yes,” Zajee answered.

 “Open it.”   

 “There’s nothing important in there. But, if you must check…”

 “I doubt there’s anything important in there, but I still must check.”

 Mike and Benton glanced to each other, silently got to their feet, and with a lack of anything in the room to hide behind, positioned themselves on either side of the door, ready to attack if needed.

 “Of course. One moment, the lock has habit of getting stuck.” Zajee’s voice got slightly louder. “The trick is not to hit or attack the control panel. It needs… finesse.”

 The two men inside the room understood the message, though how they were going to get out of this when the officer would surely see them, they had no idea. As the door slid open, they both held their breaths and completely froze against the wall.

 “See? As I say, nothing here,” Zajee stated.

 The officer took a couple of steps into the room and looked side-to-side. Benton knew that there was no way he couldn’t have seen him, but the officer made no indication that he had. “As you said, nothing here.” The officer walked backwards out of the bedroom, and the door slid closed. 

 Benton pressed the lock button, and turned to Mike, expression incredulous on how that possibly worked. Mike had a similar expression, and shrugged his confusion.

 A moment later, the officer said, “Thank you for your full cooperation. I trust if you see them again, you will inform us.”

 “Of course. Best luck in your investigation.”

 Zajee waited a long moment after the front door closed to knock on the bedroom door. She had an expression of relief across her feline features. “Been long since I’ve done that” she breathed.

 “What exactly did you do? He saw us in here. He must have,” Benton asked first.

 “That was very risky, undoing the lock to let him in here,” Mike pointed out.

 Zajee sighed. “I could not manipulate them all, so I had to give impression that the lead officer was making decisions himself. It would’ve looked very odd if the others saw that he did not check in here.”

 Benton let out a little laugh of stress release. “You’re a wonder.”

 “Are we still safe here?” Mike asked.

 “Safe enough, for time being.” Zajee turned from the pair as she thought. “For short time being. They will not give up so easily.” She turned to face them again. “Question is if we risk staying here or risk trying to get off-world.”


	10. Chapter 10

  “Act natural,” Zajee reminded into Benton’s ear.

 Benton stopped his looking around the public transport ship taking them from Basloa to Iziz’s spaceport. “Sorry, Miss,” he replied quietly. At the young woman’s tilted head, he corrected, “I mean, Zajee.”

 Mike slightly shook his head in amusement at Benton’s slip of habit. He adjusted the light bag on his shoulder, hoping for the umpteenth time since they left Zajee’s home that this was the right course of action. Zajee was confident that she could get them past any security into the large spaceport, where they could then catch a public off-world transport. She had already been able to manipulate the Imperial soldier at Basloa’s spaceport to let them through.

 It didn’t really matter where they went to, as long as they were away from Onderon. If all went well, they would simply appear as a trio of nondescript travelers, and the Imperial forces would never even know they had left the planet.

 And if it didn’t all go well, he and Benton didn’t have any weapons, and would have to once again rely on Zajee to protect them. Returning to Iziz was certainly a risky move, but the small spaceport in Basloa was only for commercial shipping trade and public transport around the rest of the planet. From a strategic standpoint, it also could be an unexpected move on their part.

 Soon enough, a voice over a speaker system announced that they were about to touch down in Iziz. Benton stood, and adjusted his hooded cloak, trying not to appear as though he was purposely trying to hide his face.

 Zajee put her computer pad back into her bag. They stepped off the transport to the expected Imperial officer and soldier checking the departing passengers. It took the simple statement of, “These men are not the ones you’re looking for,” from Zajee to get them through with no problem, even though Mike could see the officer was holding a computer pad with photos of his and Benton’s faces.

 Once in a common area for passengers waiting for their intended ships to arrive, Zajee said pulled out her datapad and said, “The next off-world transport is in less than an hour, to Corellia.”

 “Anything we should know about Corellia?” Mike inquired.

 Zajee smiled slightly. “From how I understand, they are not nearly as heavily occupied as here.”

 “Which can only be a good thing, right?” Benton nodded.

 “Exactly. Quite good for us.” 

 They went over to the food stall and Zajee bought a coffee for each of them and a small basket of cooked meat and vegetables to share.

 “Hm… Not as good as the coffee you make,” Mike said to Benton.

 “Would you say that even if it was better?” Benton teased.

 “No,” was the honest response.

 Despite appearances, the three of them were alert, taking turns glancing around for potential trouble in a manner that appeared natural to anyone.

 Unfortunately, nearly thirty minutes later, they attracted attention.

 “Kark!” Zajee swore under her breath at the sight of a group of officers approaching their table.

 Mike and Benton lowered their heads, hoping their hoods would help obscure their faces enough.

 “Be ready to run with me,” Zajee whispered to them. She raised her head to the officers. “Is there problem?”

 “That depends,” replied the lead officer.

 “There is no problem here,” Zajee said with a little smile.

 “You two, turn to us,” the officer demanded.

 “Is this really necessary?” Mike asked. “We don’t want to miss our ship. Very important business, you understand.”

 “We’re of no importance to you,” Zajee added.

 “You’re of no-“ started the first officer. Then another said, “We’ll decide that.”

 Then, after a raise of Zajee’s hand, an officer at the back of the group went flying backwards away from them. With his shout of panic, the officers turned to look what had happened. Then all the officers went flying in the same direction, to land on a heap on the floor.

 Zajee hissed, “Run!” She and Mike shouldered their bags as the trio bolted from the common area and to the central hub.

 “Our ship won’t be here yet, will it?” Benton asked as they ran.

 “Perhaps, but it won’t take off, especially now.” As though the spaceport was responding to her words, an alarm system started blaring. “Definitely not.”

 Heavy doors started descending over the open outlets to the landing and departing outlets of the spaceport. Zajee extended her hand and one door slowed. The shouts behind them spurred them to reach that outlet faster, and they ended up practically sliding under it. The bottom of the door hit the floor only a second later, Zajee releasing her telekinetic hold on it.

 “They’ll get that open quickly,” Zajee said, helping Benton up to his feet. When they started running again, both men saw her reach into her bag and pull out the shock stick she had used in the jailbreak.

 They rounded a bend, to a pair of Stormtroopers standing guard near the civilian ship. “That must be them!” one soldier shouted, he and the other raising their guns.

 Mike and Benton didn’t even have a second to look around for nearby cover before they were shoved to the side, sliding along the smooth floor for a couple meters. Red bolts hit the floor where they had been a second after. They watched as Zajee didn’t break her stride, dodging another bolt and running along the wall a few steps before springing into the air at the soldiers. She extended one hand as she came down, sending the further one crashing into the hull of the ship with a hard impact. The other went down as she landed on him, cracking the face of the helmet and sending an electric current through him with a strike from her shock stick.

 Mike and Benton scrambled to their feet and hurried to grab the weapons from the unconscious soldiers. It wasn’t a moment too soon, with shouting coming from the corridor behind them. Zajee went to the closed entrance hatch of the ship. “Cover me!”

 Benton pulled Mike behind a couple of nearby shipping crates as energy bolts burst towards them. They took up point, trying to keep the newly-arrived soldiers and officers distracted enough from Zajee.

 “Good thing we’ve had practice at this,” Mike remarked.

 “Yeah,” Benton replied as he sent a shot across the room. He also recalled the instances when the two of them had to cover the Doctor urgently working on something in a similar way. 

 “Come!” Zajee shouted to the pair a moment later.

 Mike pushed Benton towards the open entrance hatch ahead of him, and turned to deliver a few more shots before running up the ramp himself. Most of the answering fire hit the closing door as the ramp retracted. A few came through, one nearly catching Zajee in the leg.

 The trio hurried to the cockpit, and Zajee took the main controls. She pressed a few buttons and flicked a switch, and the engine came to life, creating a tangible hum around them. “Here we go,” the young woman announced. As the ship rose through the open ceiling, she gave a mocking wave out the window to the group of Imperials still shooting at the ship.

 As the spaceport became smaller below them, Benton shrugged back in the chair to the left of Zajee, his hand going to his injured side. All the running and dodging couldn’t have been good for it. Still, he waved off Mike’s attention, nodding to say he would be fine.

 “Not time to relax yet,” Zajee said, looking at a scanning screen. “We have company.” She looked behind to the two Humans. “What’s your experience with ship combat?”

 Mike and Benton glanced to each other before the captain stated, “Our closest experience has only been with mounted guns on terrestrial vehicles.”

 Zajee let out a growling hiss, and said, “It will have to do.” She tossed a headset from the console to Mike. “There will be mounted gun station nearby.”

 “On a civilian ship?” Benton asked.

 “For defense against pirates or raiders,” Zajee explained. “Go, Mike! I will try to give time for you to figure it out.” Her smile reappeared. “Strap in. This may be rough.”

 Mike put on the headset, dropped his bag to the floor, and left the cockpit. Benton followed Zajee’s advice and pulled the chair’s straps over his torso. 

 “This must be it,” Mike’s voice came through the cockpit console.

 “Here they come!” Zajee said of the Imperial patrol ships, with a note of exhilaration. “Scanners picking up six. Visual on two ahead of us.”

 “Visual on three back here,” Mike replied.

 “Strapped in?”

 “Ah… ye-“ Mike’s voice went into a yelp at the sudden change in direction as Zajee piloted the ship in a sharp upward motion to avoid fire from the ships in front of them. He cleared his throat to recover. “What’s the plan?”

 “You shoot them down, I get us far enough from Onderon to engage the hyperdrive. After that is up to negotiation.”

 They reached the upper atmosphere, and their pursuers were not at all shaken by Zajee’s evasive maneuvering. She did get one patrol ship to damage another, but not enough to bring it down.

 “Here goes nothing,” Mike said as he figured out enough of the gun controls to start shooting back. His third shot skimmed across the top of an enemy ship, and he smiled at the tiny victory. It gave him a boost to his confidence. “Just like a mounted gun truck,” he whispered to himself.

 “One on the right getting too close,” Zajee said.

 “On it!” Mike swiveled the gun right, and when the aim was right, he let off a number of shots, causing enough damage for smoke to start billowing out from the ship and heading slowly downward. “Got him!”

 “Good, there’s another five. Let’s hope they don’t send more!”

 Mike’s visual out his window was obscured as they entered the cloud layer, and when they emerged, he could see they were on the edge of space. He was able to appreciate the breathtaking sight for only a second before a red bolt from a hostile ship whizzed past his view.

 “Stay on them, Mike!” Zajee demanded.

 “Working on it!” His next series of shots went wide as Zajee rolled the ship to dodge attacks. “It’s hard to aim with you doing that!” Their ship rocked slightly from an impact of two shots across the top. Mike was able to get a glancing blow on that patrol ship before their ship suddenly changed direction again. “Really hard!”

 “I do my best, you do yours!” Zajee suddenly broke off into a slightly hysterical laugh. “My master did say my piloting was like tying a nexu to the steering at best of time.”

 “What does that mean?” Benton asked, his fingers curling tightly around the edge of his chair.

 “It means I barely passed evasive piloting lessons in Temple training!” Zajee spun the ship over onto its side in a rolling motion, while keeping the forward momentum to break through the space between two patrollers trying to block them. Almost to prove her point, they felt metal against metal scratching along the bottom of their ship as she got too close to one.

 “Oh, great,” Mike remarked, aiming at one of the two ships now behind them.

 ‘Hey, you don’t complain about my flying, I don’t complain about your shooting.”

 “Right.” Mike spotted three ships trying to catch them in a pincer movement. He shot at one, making it back off, and Zajee pulled the ship upwards. The patrollers missed hitting each other and continued their pursuit.

 ********

 “What’s going on over there?” the Doctor asked, pointing out the cockpit window to what looked like a firefight above the cloud layer of Onderon. They had only left hyperspace a minute ago.

 “Someone in trouble,” Barriss made the screen zoom in to that spot until they could see the individual ships. “Civilian ship being attacked by Imperials.”

 Ahsoka glanced over to her partner with a little smile, already steering their ship towards the fight. “Time for a rescue?”

 Then both Jedi looked to the two men. “If it won’t make it more difficult to find Yates and Benton when we land on the planet, I have no objection,” Alistair answered for them both.

 Ahsoka’s smile widened. Barriss warned, “You should strap in. She likes having some fun in situations like this.”

 “Try not to get sick, Alistair,” the Doctor teased as they pulled on their seat restraints.

 “Doctor, please,” Alistair responded with a glare. “I don’t get motion sick.”

 “Hold on, boys!” Ahsoka pushed the ship to go faster, taking them straight to the fight.

 ********

 The ship rocked as one patroller let off a steady stream of shots to their back. “Not good! Shield weakening!” Zajee announced. 

 “Would they prefer us alive or dead?” Benton asked.

 “Alive if possible.”

 “That’s something,” Benton replied, looking for a positive aspect in the situation.

 “I can’t get a lock on this one!” Mike shouted. “Their ships are more agile than ours.”

 Zajee turned a hard upwards left, but their pursuer stayed on them, letting off another string of shots across their hull. Mike let off answering shots, the few that hit not doing anything to make it back off.

 “Mike, now would be good time to take him out!”

 “I’m trying!” Mike let out a grunt of frustration when the patroller dodged his next shots and still stayed on their tail. The next thing that came from the patroller wasn’t red energy bolts, but a wide blue beam. Mike didn’t know what to expect, and instinctively raised his arms in front of his face.

 All three occupants felt the drastic slowing of their ship. “No!” Zajee hissed. “Tractor beam!”

 “They’ll drag us back down?” Benton clarified.

 “Kicking and screaming.” Zajee pushed up on the engine thruster, then let it go, she repeated this a few times, like revving the engine. “Come on… come on… Break free…”

 Mike let off a few shots, but another patroller took the hits for the one trying to drag them. Another added its own tractor beam to the effort, and it wouldn’t be long before the three fugitives would be completely under their control.

 Benton briefly closed his eyes as the ship shuddered to a stop, despite Zajee’s efforts to keep them moving forward.

 Then, without warning, like they were being shot from a giant rubberband, their ship surged forward, released from the tractor beams. Zajee let out a whooping, “Good job, Mike!”

 “That wasn’t me,” Mike stated. He blinked at the explosion that was one of the two patrollers that had caught them. Then he saw the new ship sweep past his window to engage the other Imperial ships.

 Zajee pressed a blinking blue button on the console, and a feminine voice came through with, “This is the _Luneburst_. Looks like you could use some help.” 

 “You have that right!” Zajee replied. “This is the… have no idea. Name wasn’t priority when we stole it.” She turned the ship around to reengage the patrollers. 

 There were a couple of laughs from the new ship, and the same voice said, “We’ve got you covered.”

 “Are you alright?” asked a male voice.

 Benton leaned forward in shock at the familiar voice. One of two he and Mike had been longing to hear since they awakened on the frosty grass on Onderon. “Doctor? Is that you?”

 In the _Luneburst_ , the Doctor and Alistair glanced to each other in surprise. “Benton?” the Doctor responded.

 “Doctor!” Benton’s voice came through the console. “It’s great to hear you! Is the Brigadier with you?”

 Alistair undid his seat restraints to lean forward enough to be clearly heard. “Yes, Sergeant, I’m here, too. What’s your status?”

 “Much better now that you’ve come to help, sir! Captain Yates is here, too.”

 “Splendid!” Alistair said with a relieved smile. “Let us clear out the rest of these chaps.” Ahsoka maneuvered the ship into a forward roll, and the Doctor gripped Alistair’s arm to stop him from crashing into the console.

 The fight didn’t last much longer, with the firepower and agility of the _Luneburst_ superior to the stolen ship’s. At the sight of the smoking final patroller rapidly descending down to the surface, the three fugitives let out a little shout of victory.

 “What’s your ship damage?” Ahsoka asked the fugitives.

 “Functional,” Zajee reported. “We’ll follow you.”

 “It might be better if the Imperials think you went down in the fight,” Barriss proposed. “Let’s give them something to find.”

 “Crash-land on the surface, and we’ll follow in a strafing run to destroy your ship. Make the landing look convincing,” Ahsoka instructed.

 “We’ll see you then,” Barriss said.

 Then the communication link ended. Mike emerged into the cockpit in time to hear Zajee ask cheekily, “How convincing do they want?”

 The young woman grinned at the expression of the two men. “Do not worry, friends. I won’t make it too convincing.”

 “I hope not,” Benton responded. Mike took the other seat and strapped himself in.

 They descended back down through the cloud layer of Onderon, and the two Unit officers fought to keep themselves calm. They had been in a few vehicle crashes before, but this was different. This was from much higher up from the ground, for starters.

 “Shouldn’t we slow down?” Benton asked a few seconds after they entered the atmosphere below the clouds.

 “What did I say about complaining about my flying?” Zajee responded. “Let me focus.”

 Benton and Mike looked to each other for a second, then did their best to physically brace themselves at the sight of solid land rushing towards them.

 Zajee slowed the ship down, aimed towards a high-grassed field, and pulled the nose up enough to skim across the ground. The two men briefly gritted their teeth at the impact. Then the ship rose slightly, and dipped back down to fully crash, gouging through the ground. Sparks erupted from the console and the smell of smoke tinged the air. The ship came to a shuddering stop a couple of hundred meters away from the start of the violent path.

 It took a moment of silence for all three to recover from the bone-jarring impact. “Well,” Mike breathed, gingerly undoing his seat restraints and rubbing his chest where they had dug in. “Good job. We’re not dead. You alright, John?”

 Benton winced, “As alright as expected.”

 “I hope that’s convincing.” Zajee rubbed at one ear. 

 “Certainly felt very convincing,” Benton assured.

 The sound of a ship rushing over and past them reminded the three of the rest of the plan. They scrambled to their feet, grabbed their bags, and hurried to the door hatch. The hatch got stuck partway and the ramp didn’t lower, but there was enough room to crawl under and clamber down to the ground. Mike and Zajee took Benton’s arms to make sure he wouldn’t lag behind them in running away from the soon-to-be destroyed ship.

 They heard the energy bolts, and turned to watch as the _Luneburst_ approached the stolen ship, following the dark gouge through the frosty field. Zajee jumped up onto Mike’s back and let out a loud roaring sound when the shots hit the ship. Even though they were far enough away to not be injured, they still felt the heat of the explosion wash over them.

 Zajee let out another roar, raising a hand in the air. Mike and Benton also let out a shout of elation. The _Luneburst_ came down near them, the entrance hatch and ramp already open and lowered. The Doctor stood there, beaming at them, his hand outstretched. The fugitives hurried to him, wide smiles on their faces. “They’re on board,” the Doctor called out as soon as the four of them were halfway up the ramp.

 The ship lifted back into the air, not waiting for the ramp to close.

 Once in the safety of this ship, Mike said first to the Timelord, and the Brigadier standing a little further back, “You have no idea how good it is to see you both.”

 “I imagine as good as it is for us to see you,” the Doctor replied.

 Zajee separated from the group, heading to the cockpit with a strange expression across her features.

 “Imagine our surprise to find you two in a dogfight with these Imperial chaps.” Alistair shook both of his men’s hands tightly.

 “Rather lucky for us,” Benton grinned. He leaned sideways against the wall, hand hovering over his side.

 “Are you injured?” Alistair asked with obvious concern.

 “Got shot… was it yesterday?” Benton shook his head. “It’s not bad, honestly.”

 “We’ll let Barriss be the judge of that,” said the Doctor.

 “Captain?” Alistair prompted.

 “All good with me, sir.” 

 Then all four men start to laugh lightly, in relief at finding the other pair alive.


	11. Chapter 11

 There was a slight shudder, and the Doctor stated, “I think that means we’re in hyperspace.”

 “That means we’re safe from any more Imperial ships, right?” Benton asked. “Zajee talked like it would.”

 “As safe as can be, Sergeant,” Alistair said, leading the way back to the cockpit.

 “They were about to drag us back down when you arrived,” Mike informed. “And-“ He broke off when they saw Zajee, standing completely still in the cockpit doorway and staring at the other two women. At the hitch of her breath, Mike prompted, “Zajee?” He raised his hand to comfort her.

 The Doctor gently pushed Mike’s hand back down and hushed him.

 The three women barely seemed to register that the others were present. Zajee spoke first, very hushed, “You are...” Without looking down, she pulled the weapon Mike had seen her levitating in her home, and held it out to show the other two. The four men saw the similarity of that to the ones clipped to Barriss and Ahsoka’s belts. 

 “This is mine,” Zajee clarified, her voice shaky with emotion.

 Ahsoka and Barriss smiled warmly. Barriss stepped forward and said, “It’s… it’s good to find another of us.”

 That broke Zajee’s control over her emotions, and she quickly enveloped the shorter Barriss in a tight embrace, little sobbing sounds coming from her mouth. Her golden eyes shined with welling tears, which quickly spilled out onto her dark fur.

 “What Barriss said is an understatement,” said Ahsoka, putting a hand on Zajee’s shoulder. “What’s your name?”

 “Zajee Vulahi.” The feline young woman pulled back from Barriss. “S-sorry, I just-“ She was pulled into a hug by Ahsoka. “I didn’t think… didn’t think I’d see another Jedi again, not after… I was only fifteen when… didn’t know what to do, so I hid, and-“

 Alistair tapped the Doctor’s shoulder, and suggested, “Maybe we should leave them alone?”

 The Doctor cleared his throat awkwardly. “Yes… come along.”

 “Will Zajee be alright?” Benton quietly asked once they were out of earshot of the cockpit.

 “More than alright, Sergeant,” the Doctor answered. The door to the common area slid open at their presence, and they all took a seat on the comfortable chairs. “From the sound of it, the poor girl’s been separated from any other Jedi for five years. I can imagine the intense emotions she’s going through right now, meeting Ahsoka and Barriss.” He stood and went over to a shelf unit in the wall. “Would you like anything to drink?”

 Mike and Benton didn’t ask what a Jedi was or why Zajee wouldn’t have seen another for that long, deciding it would be explained to them in time.

  “Tell us what happened to you two,” Alistair prompted. “We know you were arrested and escaped Imperial custody.”

 “How do you know that?” Mike inquired.

 The Doctor handed the pair a cup of a warm drink each. “Thanks to Ahsoka and Barriss, we were in a position to look for you. We found that report, after a lot of digging.”

 “It’s how we knew you were on Onderon,” Alistair added.  

 “Full report, sir?” Benton asked. He took a sip of the drink, and found it was like a fruity sort of tea.

 “Whatever you deem important,” Alistair clarified.

 “Well, Captain Yates and I woke up in a field, and decided the best course of action would be to start walking and hopefully find civilization…”

 The Doctor and Alistair had just finished telling their story when the three Jedi joined them. The Timelord rose to take Zajee’s hand between both of his. “Alistair and I owe you a great deal, my dear, for helping our friends despite the potential high cost to yourself.”

 Zajee slightly bowed her head, evidence of her earlier crying still present on the fur under her eyes. “It is what I know.” She cleared her throat and glanced to the other two women. “Besides, risk to myself proved to be worth more than I thought.”

 “Same goes for you two,” Mike said to Ahsoka and Barriss, standing to shake their hands. “Saving their lives and taking them in.” 

 “The Force guided us,” Barriss replied.

 “You have another patient, if you don’t mind looking him over now,” the Doctor said to Barriss.

 “I’m fine, Doctor. Just need a bit of rest, is all, and I’ll be-“ Benton protested.

 “That’s an order, Sergeant,” Alistair interrupted.

 Benton sighed, and stood to follow the Jedi healer. Barriss grinned to the Brigadier, “Soldiers really are not the best of patients,” before leading Benton out of the room.

 Zajee bent over the back of Mike’s chair to hug him from behind. “Despite trouble you cause, I am glad the Force guided me to you.”

 “What exactly did entice you to approach us in that bar?” Mike inquired.

 The Doctor answered, “We feel different to them compared to everything else, since we don’t belong in this galaxy.” He looked to Ahsoka. “Correct?”

 Ahsoka nodded. “It’s a subtle thing, not like a bright beacon, but it’s there.”

 Mike patted Zajee’s wrist as she pulled away to get a drink. “So, what do we do now?”

 “We’re going back to Alderaan,” Ahsoka stated.

 “Where the Doctor will continue working on that blasted dematerialization box, and we come up with a way to help them with weakening this Empire,” Alistair added.

 “Tall order, sir,” Mike remarked.

 “Yes, for both tasks,” the Doctor mused. He smiled to Mike, “But for right now, you and Benton deserve a nice rest.”

 “After the last couple of days, I won’t argue with that.”

 

 Benton sat on the edge of the bed in the medical bay and gingerly took off his shirt. “Zajee patched me up,” he informed Barriss.

 “I’m sure she did her best,” Barriss put a jar of ointment-like substance and a set of fresh bandages down on the sheets. “How much does it hurt?”

 “Not much.” When Barriss fixed the soldier with a knowing look, Benton wilted slightly. “It aches badly, especially when I move.”

 “Better,” Barriss smiled. She peeled back the current bandage over the wound.

 “Can you read my mind, Miss?” Benton inquired. “With your powers?”

 “You don’t have to call me that. My name is Barriss, as I’m sure your friends told you already. And no, it’s not reading as much as a general sensing.”

 “Ah, got it.”

 Barriss looked up from the wound to add, “Also, in my experience, generally speaking, soldiers have a habit of underplaying their injuries, even to healers.”

 Benton slightly grinned, “Fair enough.” He hissed as the Jedi pressed her hand close to the wound.

 “Fortunate for you, this wasn’t a direct shot.”

 “That’s good, then.”

 “Which could still bring you problems if I don’t treat it properly, especially with the strain your daring escape put on it. Do you suppose you’re more or less stubborn than Alistair?”

 Benton thought for a few seconds. “That’s a difficult question to answer.”

 Barriss laughed lightly. “I tease. He’s been good about not aggravating his injuries much.” Then she instructed, “Lay back and relax, Benton. You’re in good hands.”

 “I don’t doubt that,” Benton responded, and did as he was told. Soon, he felt quite calm, and it seemed as though the pain in his torso was already diminishing with Barriss’ attention.


	12. Chapter 12

 “Now this is more like it,” Benton remarked as they all stepped out from the _Luneburst_ and into the slightly cool early evening air of Alderaan, and stared for a moment at the large house in front of them. He glanced over to Zajee.” Uh… no offense meant to your home.”

 Zajee grinned, “None taken. This is certainly upgrade.”

 “Come on, we’ll show you where you can sleep,” Barriss invited, leading the way.

 “I must say, sir, I’m rather jealous you two got picked up by them, and have been staying here,” Mike remarked. “Onderon was quite cold.”

 “We were all fortunate, to be picked up by the people we were,” the Doctor stated. “And extremely fortunate to all find each other.”

 Barriss entered the code to the door lock, and ushered them all inside.

 After being shown to their bedrooms, across the hall from the Doctor’s and Alistair’s, Mike and Benton’s first order of business was to take a nice long shower. Separately, of course. Benton was certain to take extra care to not disturb his healing injury too much, not wanting to annoy Barriss by being careless.

 Afterwards, they were called for dinner, and everyone gathered in the dining room, to eat and discuss options for moving forward.

 “I think you need to make a statement,” Benton suggested at a lull in the conversation. When everyone looked at him, he added, “Not a verbal sort of statement, but one of action. Something big enough to inspire people.” He tapped his mouth. “Though I suppose a verbal one wouldn’t hurt in inspiring people, either.”

 “We have been trying to build up enough support to do something big,” Ahsoka nodded.

 “I get what he means,” the Doctor said, leaning forward and taking another bite of his food before continuing. “It’s difficult to gather support if your presence is too quiet. You’re building a foundation, yes. But what you need is to make more noise.”

 “If we make too much noise now, we will attract more attention from the Empire than we can handle,” Barriss pointed out.

 “It’s about finding a balance, then?” Mike asked. “Something that we can do with the resources we have already, that will be big enough that people can’t ignore, but not big enough that will have the Empire using everything they have to find and blast us into dust.”

 “Nice way of saying it,” Zajee chuckled.

 “The only thing big enough to do that is to directly attack the Empire itself in some way. Probably a major base or headquarters,” Ahsoka mused.

 Alistair leaned back in his chair and sipped his drink. “Benton’s right. We need to show that the Empire is not invincible. With what you said about how quickly and easily it took power, it does seem invincible, especially to the civilian population.” He considered what Ahsoka had said. “Striking one of their major bases would certainly send a message.”

 “We’d have to discuss this idea with our contact here,” Barriss concluded. “We’d need his input.”

 “We as in just the two of you, or all of us?” Zajee inquired.

 Barriss smiled, “Since you’ve decided to stay with us, you can certainly meet him in person.” To the four men, she said, “And since you’ll hopefully be leaving us soon, I see no problem with you meeting him, either.”

 Ahsoka nodded her agreement.

 “I’ll speak with him tonight, perhaps he can find time tomorrow to come see us,” Barriss said. “What’s ours is yours.”

Zajee finished her meal and asked the other two Jedi, “You said you have a training room? Could I use tonight? Perhaps with one of you?”

 “I’m up for a work-out,” Ahsoka agreed. Zajee beamed at her, eager to train with another Jedi.

 “You’ll want to see that,” the Doctor said to Mike and Benton. He looked to the women. “If you don’t mind an audience, my dears?”

 Zajee shrugged. “I must warn, I am probably rusty.”

 A little while after dinner, Alistair, Mike, and Benton were in the training room, sitting on the floor. The Doctor had gone back to the workshop to continue working on the demat device.

 As Ahsoka and Zajee set up some small floating sphere droids, Alistair looked to Benton and asked, “You’re alright, Sergeant?”

 “Right as rain, promise,” Benton answered with a little grin.

 “You’re alright, sir?” Mike asked the Brigadier.

 “Barriss has set me right, as well. As long as we’re both careful, Sergeant?”

 “Yes, sir.”

 They all looked up to the Jedi pair at the snap-hiss sort of sound. Mike and Benton’s eyes widened at the blue blade of light emitting from the metal and bone hilt in her hand.

 “That is beautiful,” Mike said quietly.

 Ahsoka tied a blindfold around Zajee’s head, and stepped back a distance. “You ready?”

 At Zajee’s nod, one of the floating spheres started circling around her. She slightly swayed her body side-to-side, ready for the attack. It came a couple seconds later in the form of blaster bolts.

 The three men watched from the sidelines as Zajee dodged and used her blade to block the gunfire from hitting her. A second and third droid were added after a minute, and she easily adapted.

 The session came to an end when one bolt finally got through, striking her lower leg and making her growl at the slight shock. Still, she could only smile as she pulled off her blindfold and deactivated her lightsaber.

 Benton clapped and shouted out, “Very good!”

 Zajee beamed at them, and bowed her head. Ahsoke praised her as well, then tossed her another lightsaber hilt. Zajee caught it and clipped her lightsaber back onto her belt. Ahsoka approached with an identical practice lightsaber. They bowed to each other, then started the sparring match.

 Mike and Benton watched the match in awe, at the graceful movements of the combatants and clashes of the coloured blades.

 ********

 “He is here,” Barriss informed after gathering everyone near the front door.

 A moment later, the door opened to reveal a tan-skinned middle-aged man, with short dark hair and goatee. He dressed modestly, defying the high position that Barriss had told the Doctor about before.

 “Bail,” Ahsoka and Barriss greeted in unison, pulling the man into a tight hug.

 “Always good to see you two,” Bail responded when they separated. “It means you haven’t gotten yourselves killed,” he added with a wry smile. Then he looked over the others and approached them, taking each of their hands in turn and grabbing it in both of his briefly in greeting, along with receiving each of their names.

 “I hope you all are well, despite recent run-ins with Imperials?” Bail asked them collectively.

 “As well as can be expected,” the Doctor answered. “Thanks to your two friends here.”

 “Good. It’s always great to know our efforts are achieving something.” Bail let out a long breath. “Though I am told you all have an idea for doing something larger, that we need to plan?”

 “Right this way,” Ahsoka said, leading everyone into a lounge room with comfortable chairs.

 Barriss handed Bail a computer tablet, and once everyone settled into a seat, Ahsoka started, “Benton suggested we do something big to send a message, to both the Empire and anyone sympathetic to our cause. Thinking on it, he’s right.”

 “Attacking one of their main bases sounds like a good way to do that,” Alistair said.

 “That would certainly gain attention,” Bail agreed. “I do see the reasoning behind such a move, even if we are in a small state.”

 “I did some research last night, after I called you,” Barriss said. Sitting next to the man, she pointed down to the tablet. “Potential targets and possible impacts.”

 Bail took a minute to quickly read through the list. He commented, “All good ideas.” He smiled at the group. “Certainly enough to go on. Let’s start deciding and planning.”


End file.
